The Darkness Within
by enigma013
Summary: AJ Echo, long time friend of Elena, knew about vampires and the curse for as long as Elena knew.  But she never realized just how much of a role she would play in it.  Lucky for her, she's under the protection of a powerful Original. Full Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

The Darkness Within

Summary: AJ Echo, long time friend of Elena, knew about vampires and the curse for as long as Elena knew. But she never realized just how much of a role she would play in it. Lucky for her, she's under the protection of a powerful Original. But will he be enough to keep the darkness from tempting her, or will she succumb to the side of herself she vowed would never see the light of the day? Elijah/OC

A/N Hello all! This was just something I began to write. I've got a pretty good idea of where it's going and all that. The events in this story may not match those to the events in the show completely, or they may so sorry if you get confused! Anyway, I do not own the vampire diairies, only the character. Read and enjoy my imagination.(:

Chapter 1

AJ woke groggily, her head fuzzy and spinning as her senses returned to her. She was lying on something hard yet soft—a chair or bench or some sort. She opened her eyes briefly, to test them out, and then squinted as she slowly sat up and took in her surroundings. She appeared to be in some kind of fallen-apart house and the thing she was laying on turned out to be one of those old classic loveseats. The not-so-comfortable kind, which explained her aching back. The house lacked outside light, its only form was in gas-powered sconces on the walls and candles on tables. She thought back to what she remembered last—she had been on the phone with Elena and on her way to her car. At the Grille. Then someone grabbed her? She couldn't remember exactly, the details were still fuzzy, as was her head. Then she heard voices.

"Trevor, there's nothing to be afraid of! Don't you trust me?" a female's English accent echoed throughout the abandoned home.

"Of course I trust you, Rose, but I don't think you truly understand the situation. Of course he'll forgive you, but there is no _way_ he would forgive me! I betrayed him, Rose! And do you know what the punishment is for that? Death!" That had been a man's voice, containing no accent other than that of a Northern American.

Trevor and Rose… The names were oddly not familiar to her. But they kidnapped her? Why?

"He will forgive you as soon as we present him with the girl! That's what he's been after, Trevor, he will surely be thankful for it," Rose replied with confidence in her voice.

AJ sat up, decidedly annoyed of people talking about her as if she weren't there. She entered a large room. It had a small descending staircase leading down the main part of it, but this part of the house was as run down as the rest. She thought that, in its time, it must have been a marvelous room. But then she focused on the two people in it. One, Rose she assumed, had short brown hair. She was standing with her arms crossed in front of a man with spiked blonde hair. Trevor.

"Uhm, excuse me," she said, interrupting what appeared to be a retort from Trevor. Both of them stared up at her with wide eyes. "But do you mind telling me where the hell I am?"

Rose recovered quickly, and then zoomed up the stairs to stand next to her, taking hold of her arm painfully. Ah. A vampire, of course. "You should be sitting down. I'm asking for your cooperation nicely, so I would very much like for you to do so. "

AJ stopped, pulling her arm out of the vampire Rose's grasp. "Not until you tell me where I am. Or why I'm here." She looked determinedly into the woman's eyes.

Rose huffed. "There's no use in telling you where you are since it's basically the middle of nowhere. As for the other part, you are here so that Trevor and I can be pardoned. We will finally be free."

"Free from…" She looked at Rose expectantly. She was all for freedom and everything, but not when it came to her _own_. She wanted to know as much as possible about what was going on.

"Too long of a story and we have too little of time," Rose said briskly, glancing back at Trevor who was now pacing back and forth, obviously nervous about something.

"Ever heard of 'long-story-short,' or are you from a different era?" she asked sarcastically. Really, she was being cooperative, so the least the woman could do was give her an explanation. And tell her who was coming for her.

Rose huffed again. "They said you were annoyingly persistent. Long story short, you are our ticket to freedom from the Original, Elijah."

Suddenly fear went straight through her body, finding a resting place in her stomach. "Original? As in an Original Vampire? What would an Original want with me?" She was completely perplexed—Elena was the doppelganger. She was the one that was always in danger. AJ was merely her friend, albeit a helpful one in the fight against vampires and werewolves, but still. Why would an Original be after her, of all people?

Rose looked at her, shocked. "You really don't know, do you? Oh, that's bloody wonderful. You, AJ Echo, are the Warrior. Yes, your friend is in fact the doppelganger—the final ingredient for the curse to be lifted—but _you_ are the only thing that stands in the way of that." Rose gave her little speech with a tone that said it should have been completely obvious.

"Wait—I'm sorry, did you say _Warrior?_ Aside from damaging my femininity, you've made me curious. What the heck is a _Warrior_ and why haven't I heard the term before now?" AJ was confused. Warrior? Really? It totally figured that she'd play some part in the whole Klaus-evil-lots-of-death thing.

Before Rose had a chance to reply, there was a knock at the front door. Quickly Rose ushered AJ back into the large room, down the stairs and in the middle of it. AJ just stood there, her arms wrapped around herself due to the cold, pondering the idea of what it meant to be a Warrior. But as soon as she heard a deep, smooth voice, her heart began to pound. Keeping her face impassive, she watched as a man entered the room. His dark eyes landed on her the moment he stepped over the threshold of an area that used to hold a door. Her breath caught in her throat, but she remained emotionless. She wouldn't let them see her fear. She never let _anyone_ see it. Now was no different, not even with an Original studying her.

His eyes traveled from her own, down her body, and back up.

"Well. I see that this was truly worth the visit, Rose," he said in his silky voice as he circled AJ, still taking in her features. He stopped directly in front of her, gazing into her hazel eyes. His own were a liquid brown, a striking color on him. His hair was a lighter shade of brown, styled nicely. His clothes looked to be worth thousands of dollars. One could even tell that by the way he carried himself. Yes, she thought to herself, this was definitely an Original.

"Hello, there," he said, speaking directly to her. She lifted her chin in acknowledgement but did nothing else. He began to inhale deeply—smelling her scent. He moved in towards her, first close to her lips but then he shifted so that he could smell the blood pulsing through her neck. It was a delicious scent.

"So are we pardoned?" Rose asked meekly, but with just an edge of confidence that he chose to look at her. AJ was glad for the distraction—his intense gaze was making her heart do a marathon. She knew he could hear her heartbeat, but she could at least still control her emotions, if nothing else.

"Yes, Rose, all is forgiven. After five-hundred years of running, you are free," he said simply, elegantly. But he only held eye contact with Rose, not Trevor.

Trevor, who then decided to speak up, "Elijah, I have waited so long for this day," his voice broke as he stood a few feet away from the Original, "I cannot express to you how sorry I am for betraying you. I don't know what I was thinking, I—"

"Yes, Trevor, tell me. What were you thinking?" Elijah stepped away from AJ and began circling Trevor. Like a lion playing with its prey. "Where did your loyalty lie? It surely wasn't with me, now, was it? Rose was simply being loyal to you, and that I respect. But who were you loyal to?"

"Elijah, I—"

"I have pardoned the both of you," Elijah stopped right in front of the blonde vampire. "But I have not forgiven the fact that you willingly betrayed my trust. Tell me, what do you think a proper punishment is for that?"

"I—"before he could get another word out, Elijah slashed his head off. It landed with a _thump_ on the floor in front of Rose as his body toppled to the ground where he had stood. Blood sprayed through the air, but Elijah was careful to keep it off himself, therefore none of it reached AJ.

Rose cried out as if in pure agony at the sight of her friend's death. "Trevor!" she cried, holding on to the railing in front of her for support as streams of tears ran down her face.

"You are free Rose. Trevor still had to accept his poor choices. Be wise now." Elijah's voice was cold, but he turned to look at AJ again. She had stood her ground. She didn't even jump when Elijah had killed Trevor. She was tough, she could take it. He was impressed, but he would never admit it to anyone.

"You and I shall be on our way, then," he said, grabbing hold of Echo's arm.

"Wait!" she shouted, finally letting desperation win out over her impassiveness. He raised an eyebrow. "I know where the moonstone is. I can take you to it." She thought that was her best bet at negotiating—and it could possibly give Stephen and Damon time to figure out that she was missing. She wondered if they even knew that yet. She was supposed to have plans with Elena, so surely they did?

"You know about the moonstone?" he asked, surprised yet again by the girl. She was an odd creature. He looked over at Rose, wondering if she had been keeping this from him. That would not end well for her if it was true.

Rose shook her head, still holding on to the railing and mourning her friend's death. "This is the first I've heard of it." Her voice was hoarse.

He nodded, and then returned his deep stare to AJ. Compelling her, he asked, "Where is the moonstone?"

Echo shook her head defiantly, "It doesn't work that way."

"Well, what's this doing here?" He looked down at the necklace at the base of her throat—the one Damon had given her—and grabbed it, breaking it off. She was shocked to say the least—she didn't think any vampire could remove vervain from a human.

"Now, I ask again, where is the moonstone?"He saw, contently, that her pupils dilated. The command worked this time.

"It's in the tomb with Katherine," AJ answered robotically. When the compelling was over, she glared at him. How dare he do that to her!

"Hmm. Interesting," he said, smiling wickedly. Suddenly there was a loud crash from another area in the house. He whipped his head around to look at Rose. "Are there others here?" he demanded.

She shook her head fiercely, "Not that I know of." There was another crash.

Elijah painfully grabbed AJ's arm, leading her up the small staircase and into the foyer. There were spurts of movement all around them, making him look this way and that. AJ knew who it was and smiled in relief.

"Up here," a voice rang out from the top of the large staircase. Elijah let go of AJ's arm, preparing to dash up the stairs when the same voice said, "Back here," right before Elijah was hit with a large two-by-four. In a flash, AJ was in someone's arms and suddenly still again. She looked up, seeing Damon. She went to say something to him but he put a finger over her lips, silencing her. She decided instead to give him a grateful look, to which he smiled widely at.

"Give. Me. The. Girl." Elijah's voice was absolutely deadly and he sounded extremely angry. AJ noticed Stephen now standing with them with the vampire Rose. AJ looked from both Stephen then Damon before deciding what she would do. Before she turned around, she felt Damon slip a dagger in her hand. She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans.

"I will not tell you again—"

"Okay, okay," AJ said as she appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down at the Original. "They were just trying to help, please don't hurt them."

He appeared in front of her, so she took the dagger and ran it into his chest. He cried out in pain. Suddenly Damon was impaling him with a broken wooden coat rack. AJ watched as the Originals face grayed and withered. She thought the sight was odd, and she thought it was even odder that an Original could be killed so easily.

AJ turned around to look at Damon and smiled. She went up and hugged him, pulling him close. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear. If it hadn't been for him, she would surely be dead. Or worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

A/N: Sorry this is kind of a short chapter. I'll have lots of updates, though, since I wrote a _ton_. ~

Chapter 2

They arrived a few hours later at the Salvatore house, neither Stephen nor Damon happy with the arrival of the Original. They were glad that AJ was okay and that he was now dead.

"AJ!" Elena exclaimed, running out the front door and fiercely hugging her friend. "I was so scared for you. Are you all right?"

AJ laughed, "All's well, Elena. No worries," she shrugged off her friends fear, knowing that it would help the girl. It always did. Elena looked reluctant for a moment but AJ gave her a genuine really-everything's-totally-fine smile. Elena relaxed.

"Well, what was it like?" Elena asked as they walked into the house, curious about what an Original would look like or act like.

"A little bit freaky, a little bit intimidating, but other than that it was no big deal," AJ half-lied. She had truly been scared by the Original—she wasn't even sure what he had wanted with her. And his gaze had been so—

"AJ, oh, you're alright!" Bonnie repeated what Elena had done only two minutes ago upon seeing her friend enter the large living room. As AJ hugged her back, also reassuring her that she was truly all right, she saw Jeremy standing a few feet in front of her. He looked at her meekly, smiling a little.

"It's good to see you in one piece," he said quietly. She nodded her head at him, acknowledging his comment. They never really spoke much. Plus, he knew her secret. Can you say: awkwaaard.

"Okay, so let's get down to business," AJ said, turning and making sure to make eye contact with everyone to express that she was _not_ happy. "What the heck is a Warrior, and why didn't I know I was one?" And then, of course, everyone's eyes fell to the floor. Guilt was so clear upon their faces. AJ wanted to fume, she wanted to be angry with each and every one of them for keeping a secret _about_ her _from_ her, but her self-control won out and she remained calm. Sometimes she just wanted to say 'to hell with self control', but now was not one of those times. These were her friends and she thought they must have _some_ sort of good explanation. They better.

Elena was the first to speak up. "Believe me, AJ, we were going to tell you, but with all that we had going on, we didn't want you to worry—"

"Worry?" AJ asked incredulously, "Worry about what?" Then she remembered what Rose had said. The Warrior was the only one who stood in the way of the curse being broken. AJ was in as much danger as Elena was. AJ spoke softly, trying to be reassuring, "Elena, I'm not _worried_ about being in _danger_. It takes a lot more to freak me out. Heck, I'm in danger just standing here with a bunch of vampires. Do I look worried to you?" She gave Elena a blatant I'm-totally-cool-even-if-there-are-tons-of-vampires-looking-for-me look.

"No, I guess not," Elena said, her eyes falling to the floor again.

"So what exactly am I?" AJ asked again, the question hanging in the air for anyone to answer.

This time, it was Stephen who spoke quietly. "The Warrior is the one who stands in the way of the curse being broken. You are the only one who can stop Klaus, or so we think. We should have told you sooner, AJ, we're sorry. We're still trying to figure out more, since obviously we don't have a lot to tell you…"He had kept level eye contact with her, finally giving her the explanation she deserved. Well, a piece of it, anyway.

"So _how_ did you find all this out?" AJ asked, still a little confused.

"It was in the material that told about the curse," Elena explained, "It told about the doppelganger and everything, but then it went on to talk about a Warrior. It said that, although the Warrior may not at first know the doppelganger, he or she would come to know them sometime in their life. It described how every time a doppelganger appears, a Warrior does. We knew it was you since, well, you're always around to protect me when no one else is, AJ. I'm really sorry. We should have told you sooner." Elena hung her head in shame.

AJ nodded her head as she took in all the information she was just given. She was a Warrior. She could stop Klaus. AJ had always known that she would serve some kind of important purpose in life, but she didn't think it would ever have been _that _important. "Well." She said shortly, in the manner that could only be described as AJ. "Fantastic."

Damon volunteered to give AJ a ride home later that night. She still wasn't entirely happy that all of her friends had known about what she was for so long without telling her, but she wasn't about to huff and throw a fit about it. What happened, happened. She firmly believed that just letting it go was best for everyone. There was already so much to worry about and she didn't want to add to the drama. Ashamed, she thought of Caroline and Matt. _That_ was buckets and buckets of drama. Heck, it was an ocean. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" Damon asked, bringing AJ out of her reverie. She forgot she was in his car. It was nice, too—very sleek and pompous. Just like Damon, she thought.

"Nothing in particular, just thinking," she said as she gazed out the window at the houses passing by them. AJ didn't have anything against Damon like most of her friends did. He was always kind and caring to her—they were friends. She saw more of him than anyone else did. She saw his love for Elena and confliction over Katherine; she saw how truly good he could be sometimes even when he pretended he wasn't. She saw why he pretended. And he knew that she did, sometimes, too. Perhaps the thing they had in common the most was their dark sense of humor, though. The others never liked that AJ laughed at his jokes or made ones of similar kind, but they knew it was just her personality as it was his. And they also knew extreme sarcasm was. It was absolutely obvious. But she and Damon did have surprisingly a lot in common, which helped them understand each other and even themselves more.

"Liar," he said jokingly as he glimpsed at her. "You haven't said a word since we left the house." He knew the look she got in her eyes when she was deep in thought. She wore that look not only moments ago.

She laughed easily. "You caught me," she said, smirking slightly, "I was just thinking of how stupid it was of you guys to not tell me what I was. And _then_ I thought I didn't want to cause any drama, so I'm just letting it go. Happy?"

He rolled his eyes. "AJ, I am sorry we didn't tell you. It was for your own good—or so we thought. And we were planning on telling you—"

AJ held up a hand. "I really am over it. Water under the bridge." She smiled at him reassuringly. "And besides, you saved my life tonight. That definitely earns forgiveness."

"Yeah, cause' I'm such a hero," he muttered under his breath. He pulled into the right driveway and slowed to a stop.

"You are Damon. You just rarely let people see it, if at all," she said lightly. He sighed. "Damon, really. Thank you." She put a hand on his arm and squeezed lightly. Then she got out of the car.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

A/N: The place where I have AJ living, the 'boarding house', is not like the Salvatore boarding house. It's completely different. Just wanted to say that. Please review!~

Chapter 3

A few days later, AJ opened the door to the boarding house she was staying in. She wasn't from Mystic Falls like the rest of her friends—she was from Michigan. Her parents still lived there, along with her brother, but she had felt the need to leave when she was around fifteen or sixteen. That was when she met Elena. She used to think that she left because she didn't have enough adventure in her home town. Now she supposed it was because she was the Warrior and her Warrior senses had been tingling. But she did rather like the boarding house. It became a home for her when she first moved in—she became fond of it immediately. It was mostly filled with older tenants who were all mutual friends, but AJ didn't mind in the least. She never had grandparents, and so she considered Ms. Flowers and the other women to be her kin, as they considered her.

Listening, she could hear Ms. Flowers as well as Jenna, Elena's aunt, talking loudly about something for the historical society. AJ took off her leather jacket and placed it on the coat rack, then made her way to where the voices were. It wasn't odd that Jenna was over—she seemed to find the elder women's company equally entertaining. As she approached, she saw Jenna down on her knees reaching into one of the many closets the boarding house had, seemingly in search of something important and straining to find it. She could hear Ms. Flowers (**Yes I'm totally using her name. She just reminds me of some cute little old lady)** pouring drinks—most likely lemonade—in the kitchen.

"Oh, hey AJ. So glad to see you," Jenna barely managed to say as she hefted some heavy boxes up, standing up. "Mind holding these for a minute?"

She passed the heavy things over to AJ, looking slightly envious for a moment that the girl had no trouble holding them.

"What's all this for?" AJ asked curiously, nodding her head at the things she was holding.

"Well, I got roped into doing some stuff for the historical society by Mayor Lockwood," Jenna said, somewhat quietly. And then louder, "And by roped I mean that I'm so eager to help out."

She shut the closet door, revealing—Elijah! AJ's grip on the box tightened the moment she saw him, but she knew her face gave nothing away. It never did.

"Oh, and AJ this is Elijah. He's a writer doing a piece on the town," Jenna explained, having no idea whatsoever that one of the world's most dangerous creatures was standing behind her.

Elijah smiled wickedly at AJ and moved to approach her. She refrained herself from flinching away. He held out his hand as if meeting her for the first time. "It's a pleasure to meet you, AJ, is it? Strange name."

She slowly took his hand into her own and shook it, her heart beginning to race. "Nice to meet you, too." She purposely gave no explanation about her name. She was on the verge of freaking out, but she couldn't in front of Jenna and Ms. Flowers. He kept eye contact with her, still smiling. Her impassive facial expression was fighting to stay. She prayed for an excuse to leave—she needed to call Damon. Elijah was _not_ supposed to be alive.

"Well Ms. Flowers, thank you so much for inviting me into your home. I can send someone to pick these things up tomorrow," Elijah said on his way to the door, making an emphasis on the 'inviting me into your home' part. As if it weren't already obvious. "And AJ, I do hope to see you again soon." As if _that_ wasn't foreboding enough. The moment he shut the door behind him, she placed the box she held on a table without giving any explanation or goodbye to Ms. Flowers or Jenna and ran up the stairs to her room, dialing Damon's number on her cell phone.

But, of course, Elijah had already beaten her to it.

"Hello?" Damon answered. She stared, speechless at Elijah.

Elijah shook his head at her, gesturing at the phone. Then he made a motion as if stabbing someone in the heart. The message was clear to AJ.

"Damon? Oh, sorry. I must have used the wrong speed-dial," AJ lied.

"Oh? Are you sure?" Damon asked, uncertainty in his voice.

AJ laughed, making it believable for him. "Yes, I'm sure Damon. There's no reason to worry. See you later." She hung up.

"Wise choice," Elijah said in his elegant voice, looking her up and down as he did the other day.

"What do you want?" AJ demanded, refusing to be intimidated by him. _No one _intimidated her.

"I think it's time you and I had a little chat," he said and nodded to the door, indicating for her to close it. She did, slowly, not turning her back from him. She knew that taking precautions around him was the best idea—and really the only one she had at the time. But oh well, improvisation was her thing, so she'd figure something out.

"So, what do you want?" she asked again, tired of the delay. She could have patience. She just wasn't in the mood for it.

"I want to make you a deal," he enunciated, adjusting the black coat around his shoulders as he stood by the large window in her room that overlooked the forest on the side of the house.

"A deal," she raised a disbelieving eyebrow. She thought that he was here to take her to wherever he had originally planned to take her. Apparently, that was not the case.

"Yes, a deal. You see, my reasons for searching for you were not to take you to Klaus. Quite the opposite, in fact," his deep voice held a hint of amusement. She stared at him expectantly. "Klaus is a recluse, choosing only to trust those within his inner circle."

"Like you?" she interrupted, assuming what she thought to be true.

"Not anymore," he said with a twinge of sadness. It was quickly masked. "Anyway, I would like to enlist in your help. Or, I suppose, you would be enlisting in mine. I would like for you to live your life, go do whatever girls these days do, and let me worry about Klaus. Actually, I would very much like for your deathly tendencies to cease. They're rather bothersome. And your careless demeanor simply screams that you have a death wish. I'd like for that to change."

She said nothing for a moment, surprised that he had figured her out when none of her friends had. But he was an Original, he had probably seen a lot in his long life. She nodded her head, thinking. "You want to use me to lure him out. How exactly will that work?"

"As I said, I will worry about Klaus. I just need you to be a little bit more careful, understand?" His voice was filled with power. She would have to comply.

"On one condition," she said, surprising him.

"You're trying to negotiate again?" He asked, amused. This creature was rather odd, indeed.

"Yes. I want my friends to be safe, too. Can you do that?" She thought she might be asking for too much, but she waited to hear his answer. She didn't want to make a deal that would only keep her safe—she was more worried about her friends.

"You're friend, Bonnie I think, possesses the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts. So to answer your question, yes, I can do that. I give you my word." He thought the request was simple enough. She cared about her friends and she didn't want to see any harm come to them. Understandable, especially with the threat Klaus posed.

She smiled at him, a genuine and sincere smile, surprising him once again. No one ever looked at him in that way. "Thank you," she said earnestly. She suddenly felt much safer, much more protected with this vampire before her. Then she felt sad. "Actually… There is another thing. If you don't mind…"

Elijah refrained from sighing. "Yes?"

"Well… Stephen's stuck in the tomb with Katherine. Could you maybe get him out?" AJ sounded hopeful, but she knew this could easily be rejected. She had already asked him for one thing.

Elijah considered this. If the Salvatore boy was kept inside the tomb, he'd have less to be wary about. The Salvatore brothers already succeeded in killing him once, however poorly and briefly. But if he released the vampire he wouldn't have to look so carefully after the doppelganger as well as the Warrior. This appealed to him. "Yes. I will release him from the tomb. I must have words with Katerina, anyway."

She smiled even bigger when he answered. "Thank you so much, Elijah. I really do appreciate this."

He nodded curtly, unsure of what else he was supposed to do.

They were silent for a few moments before she dared speak up again.

"May I ask you something, Elijah?" she asked, trepidation in her voice. She wasn't sure if he would like the question.

"I don't promise an answer," he said truthfully.

"Well, how is it that you aren't dead? I _saw_ you die. And yet here you are. How is that possible?" She asked the questions quickly, her palms becoming clammy as she waited for his reaction to them.

He seemed fine. "Originals are very special vampires. A flimsy piece of wood would not keep me dead, AJ."

"May I ask you another question?" she asked suddenly, as if an idea just popped into her head.

"Again, I don't promise an answer," he reminded her. She seemed to be full of questions, which annoyed him minutely.

She nodded, understanding. "What am I?"

"Ah," he said, averting his eyes from her to her abstract bedspread. Actually, her entire room was filled with décor that reminded him of Renaissance Florence. He found himself liking her taste—Florence had been beautiful in that time. But he cleared his thoughts so he could answer her question. "The Warrior plays a very important role in the breaking of the curse. The Warrior is either good," he held out one hand, "or bad," he held out an opposing hand. "Your decisions are the most important. Klaus will want to get to you—not to kill you, but to persuade you to be on his side. It is most imminent that he does not do that."

AJ tapped her finger on her chin. "I'm assuming that if I wouldn't willingly help him, he would just compel me to. Right?"

"Actually, no. You are the only being on this planet, other than the Originals, who cannot be compelled by him," he explained, seeing the confusion cross her face.

"But you compelled me," she pointed out. How did it make sense?

"Yes, but I am not Klaus. Intention can effect compellation. My intentions were good, not bad."

"Well, what if his are good?" AJ asked, doubt lingering in her expression.

Elijah laughed lightly, a pleasant sound. "His intentions are far from good. And still, you cannot be compelled by him. No Warrior can be." For this, Elijah was grateful. It made his job much easier.

"Am I the only Warrior?"

Elijah nodded, "Yes. One doppelganger, one Warrior. Balance," he held out his hands again to show what he meant.

"Wonderful," AJ said sarcastically. She was hoping that there would be another to help her out—perhaps an older and wiser one.

He looked at her curiously. "What is wrong?"

She shook her head and smiled, "Oh nothing, other than the fact that the fate of pretty much everyone I know rests in my hands. Other than that, though, I'm just giddy." She winked at him, completely taking him out of his comfort zone. He had never had anyone speak so freely to him.

"You needn't worry, AJ. I will protect you and your friends." He thought he sounded reassuring. He hoped he did.

She nodded her head, looking off into space as she thought. Then she looked at him, right in the eye. "I know."

She said it with such trust that it nearly knocked him over. Who exactly was this girl? Why did she intrigue him so much? He left after that, having only his thoughts as company for the remainder of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 4

AJ sighed as she was leaving the campus of the school and heading towards her car. The car that everyone was waiting for her at. She hadn't yet told them about her encounter with Elijah, but she knew that she would need to today.

Suddenly someone shouldered her, and not in an accidental way. She turned around. It was Mona Diago.

"You got a problem, Mona?" AJ said loudly, gaining the girls attention as well as everyone else's. She and Mona had not spoken kind words to one another since Jeremy broke up with the girl a few weeks ago and AJ didn't really understand what that meant. But she was mad that Mona chose to act the way she did, nonetheless.

"Only if you call having to see your face everyday a problem," Mona shot back, her voice snide and her comeback lame.

AJ laughed. "You must be joking. If I could stand in front of the mirror every second of everyday, I would, believe me. So there's no problem here," AJ indicated to her face, letting her cocky and confident side show through. It was a side that she wasn't proud of, but appeared whenever a bully was around. "So do I sense a hint of jealousy, Moan?"

AJ knew Mona hated being called that. She could see it had the effect she wanted it to have. "Oh you sorry bitch—"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence, Mona. You don't want to mess with me today, got it?"AJ was not in the mood to get into a serious fight with this girl, even though she was sure she'd kick ass.

"Why, are your daddy issues bugging you as usual?" Mona venomously said.

That comment was just what it took to make AJ loose her calm demeanor. She walked towards the girl and full-out punched her, right in the jaw. Mona screamed and fell to the ground, holding her face. AJ simply flicked her wrist, allowing the pain of the punch to sink into her hand and leave it. Pain never had the same effect on her as it did others.

AJ bent at the knees, getting in Mona's face. "If you _ever_ say such an ignorant comment like that again, then I will make sure to do worse than a broken jaw," AJ's voice was menacing, the threat clear. No one ever dared speak of her parents who didn't know her personally. Ever. And it was going to stay that way.

AJ turned around, ignoring the incredulous looks of tons of fellow students, as she walked to her car. Shaking her hand again, the pain seeming to increase rather than decrease. She groaned. She'd better not have broken it, she thought, or else she wouldn't be able to work out for weeks. She looked at her hand, as did Elena, Bonnie, Stephen, and Jeremy. It was swelling.

"Did you really have to punch her?" Elena asked, not mad or anything. Just curious.

"Yes," AJ replied shortly. "I'll be sure to inform the therapist my mother continuously recommends that it was quite satisfying. Scratch that—I'd probably end up hitting him too."

Elena and the others weren't sure if she was joking or not, but laughed nonetheless. It was simply AJ's way.

"There is something very serious that we all need to discuss," AJ said, equally as serious. "Not here though. Stephen, do you mind hosting?"

He nodded, "Sounds fine to me."

Ten minutes later they were all sitting in Stephen's large living room waiting for AJ to tell them what was so important.

"Where's Damon?" she asked, turning towards Stephen.

"Right here," Damon announced as he lazily sauntered in, heading straight for the liquor cabinet. Typical Damon. "Speak." He waved a hand at her, telling her without any more words that she had the floor.

"Okay," she looked throughout the group, a nervous feeling growing in her stomach. They were not going to like what she was about to tell them. "The thing is, well—" she stopped, collecting her thoughts. Everyone stared at her, surprised. Words rarely escaped her. "Well, the other night… Elijah was at the boarding house." Mouths gaped open.

"What?" Bonnie asked incredulously, disbelieving to her own ears. "AJ, what are you talking about? He's dead."

"No, he's far from dead. I got the impression that Originals are kind of indestructible…" AJ trailed off, knowing the reaction she'd get. There were several gasps. Damon stared at her intently.

"And where exactly did you see _Elijah_, AJ?" he asked very precisely, obviously holding a lot of anger in.

"In the boarding house…" her sentence trailed off yet again as it hung in the room along with silence. Her friends were either exchanging horrified glances with each other or very angry ones.

"And when was this?" Damon now spoke through clenched teeth. "And who the hell invited him in?"

"Well… It was a couple of days ago… And I'm pretty sure Ms. Flowers invited him in…" With every word she spoke she grew quieter because Damon was growing angrier.

"Damnit, AJ! I told you living there was a stupid idea! And why didn't you tell us sooner?" He zoomed up into her face, giving her his best death-glare.

She straightened her back and looked him in the eye, even if he was one or two inches taller than her height of 5'9. She returned his glare, never one to be intimidated. When he had zoomed up to scare her, she hadn't even flinched. She knew he was just worried, anyway. "Damon, if I recall correctly, none of _you_ told me I was the freaking Warrior, so I hardly think it's a big deal that I forgot to mention Elijah!"

"_Forgot? _Really AJ? You _forgot_ to _mention_ him?" He stared down at her as if she were painted green and wearing a pink wig. "Only you could _forget_ to mention that an Original just so happened to be invited into your _house_. How do you sleep at night?"

"Better, actually," she replied honestly, her own eyebrows shooting up along with everyone else's. "That's the part I haven't told you yet. He asked to make a deal with me."

"A deal?" Stephen asked, one arm crossed over his body and the other elbow resting on top of it, his hand covering his chin. "What kind of deal?" He wasn't angry or upset with AJ like the others were. He trusted her, she was smart and cunning. She knew what she was doing. At least he hoped so.

"He asked that I stop with my suicide tendencies and help him lure out Klaus, and he will make sure that no one on my list of friends and family is harmed. Simple as that," AJ shrugged, truly thinking it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Simple as that? Are you kidding me, AJ?" Elena spoke up again but this time with force in her voice. She wasn't happy. "You could get killed trying to lure out Klaus. Remember he wants you dead too?"

"No, actually, he doesn't. He wants me on his _side_ Elena, not dead. I'm not part of the sacrifice, I would just make things go much more smoothly if I was on _his_ side instead of yours," AJ explained. Now would they see that it really wasn't that big of a deal?

"And who told you that? Elijah?" Damon asked rhetorically with venom in his voice. He hated the Original already. He hated him more than he did the first time he met him, or rather killed him.

"Yes actually. He told me more than any of you could," she pointed out, still using her card of –you-didn't-tell-me-what-I-was-when-you-should-have-so-I-can-do-whatever-I-want-now.

"So what else did he tell you?" Bonnie asked curiously from her seat next to Jeremy.

"He said that whatever side I'm on determines a lot for when the sacrifice happens. The Warrior can be good or bad, and my decisions play a huge role in whatever Klaus wants. Klaus doesn't want to kill me—he wants to _persuade_ me to help him. I am in no danger, especially with Elijah around. And neither are any of you."

"So you trust him, then?" Stephen asked, his voice far from accusing.

"Yes. He gave me his word. Plus I have a feeling that he's a man of his word. So I trust him." AJ was very intuitive, always letting her feelings guide her. They tended to be right for the most part.

"Foolish," Damon spat, still glaring at her and still invading her personal space. "That's absolutely foolish of you."

"Whatever Damon, you're just mad that he's not still dead. You'll get over when he has to save your life at some point," she spat back, tired of arguing with him. She was getting a headache. She put both hands to her temples, rubbing at them tenderly.

"AJ, are you okay?" Jeremy asked, worried. Oddly, he was the only one who knew of her diagnoses. He had been standing in the doorway of her room waiting to take her to school one day, because her car wasn't working, when her doctor left a message on her answering machine. He had been surprised that first day, but she hadn't been. She knew _something_ had to be wrong with her. She made him vow never to tell a soul, knowing that the others would worry constantly if they knew.

"Yeah, Jer, it's just a headache," she reassured him and everyone looked between them oddly. They knew, too, that AJ and Jeremy didn't talk much.

He nodded but didn't take his eyes off her. He knew she was the suffer-in-silence type, and so he wasn't sure if he should take her word for being okay or not.

The headache was getting worse, a side-effect of her medicine. "Alright, well I'm going home. I've got things to do, so we'll pick up this conversation later," AJ said as she excused herself.

Jeremy stood up," I'll drive you home."

She put her hand up, "It's really not necessary," she told him but he waved his hand at her.

"I don't care, I'm driving you home." They left with everyone's eyes on them.

"Is it any better?" Jeremy asked, worried again. Her eyes were pinched shut as she held onto her head.

She shook her head, only slightly. "Worse." She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid that it would make the migraine explode to tenfold.

He was nearing the boarding house and when he was finally there, he pulled up the long driveway and stopped near the front door. Ms. Flowers and the other elder ladies were outside working on the garden when he pulled up. They looked up curiously.

"Stay put," he instructed her, praying that she'd listen because she almost never did.

He got out of the driver's side of the car and made his way to the passenger's side, seeing her already trying to get out. He sighed. She _neve_r listened to anyone.

"AJ, let me help you okay?" He said as he gently put his hands on her arms, nudging the car door closed once she was securely out of it. Her eyes were still shut and he wondered how she could navigate without them open. "Hey," he spoke again, on the verge of shaking her. "Listen to me. You let me carry you to your room, got it? We aren't moving from this spot unless you agree."

She couldn't see him but his voice was determined. She knew he could be as stubborn as she could, but it _hurt_ so much. "Fine," she agreed quietly.

Jeremy bent down and picked her up, bridal style. One of the women moved to open the door for him, seeing that AJ was in no condition to go up the stairs on her own. She nodded at Jeremy kindly as he passed over the threshold. In his arms, close to his warm body, she felt oddly secure. Safe, even. She was surprised at this. No one ever made her feel that way. It must have been because of the state she was in and the fact that he was the only one who knew about it. Now that she thought about it, she did often regard him as a brother of sorts. She did have one of her own, but he was older. Jeremy was younger and a lot different.

He made it to her room on the second story, opening the door and walking in. He lay her down on her large bed then moved to close the curtains. The light would hurt her eyes.

"It's safe to open your eyes now, AJ," he said as he took a seat in a chair by the bed, shrouded in darkness.

She opened them and looked at him graciously. "Thank you for this Jeremy. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't know."

He nodded his head. "You need to tell the others." It wasn't demanding but it was informing. He knew that she spent more time with them than she did with him, and he wouldn't always be there when she'd get a headache—or worse.

She nodded slightly. "I know. I just don't want to add to their worries."

"AJ," he sighed, looking at her sadly, "It's been over six months. You should have told them by now. What if you had a cataplexy attack at school, huh? What then?"

"Then you would still be there," she said in a small voice, not looking at him. She didn't realize it until now, but she had always felt comforted by the thought of Jeremy being around. He knew what to do if anything ever happened to her. He _knew_.

His eyebrows rose. "But what if I'm not?"

She shook her head now. "I'd be okay, at some point. They only last a few seconds, anyway." She sat up on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chin. She pouted at him. "Please don't tell them, Jer. Please." Her voice almost sounded like she was begging.

He looked down and shook his head. "I won't, AJ, but only because I promised you. But _you_ need to tell them and soon, okay? I don't like seeing you like this and being the only one who knows," he admitted. "Does your family even know?"

"Yes. It's genetic, so they know." It was true, her family had been there when she went to see the neurologist.

He nodded, grateful for her honest answer. She could fool the absolute best of them, but she couldn't fool him. He read her too well. "Alright, well I'll let you get some rest. And rest, got it? I don't wanna hear about you going for a run or whatever else you do when you're not supposed to."

She laughed and nodded her head. "I'll be right here the rest of the night, promise." Her eyes were alight with humor but held truth in them still. She thought it was funny that he was bossing her around.

"Okay. Goodnight, AJ." And he left.

**Review and tell me how I'm doin'!(:**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 5

Like every other school day, she knew she had to get up. But she didn't want to. After getting dressed, doing her hair, and brushing her teeth she was out the door and into her Cobalt SS Supercharged Stage 2 Shift. She always took the time to admire the beauty, and then she was on her way to school.

"Hey," she said as caught up to Bonnie who was talking to a student she'd never seen before. "Hi, I'm AJ," she said, smiling as she looked at the newcomer.

"Luka," he replied, smiling as well. AJ turned to look at Bonnie who had _that _kind of smile on her face when she looked at Luka. Oooh.

"Well," AJ said, seeing that leaving them alone would be a good idea, "It was nice to meet you, Luka. See you later, _Bonnie_," AJ added, giving her friend a devious grin. Bonnie mock glared at her.

Just as she was about to walk into the school, AJ noticed someone standing at the edge of the woods in her peripheral vision. She turned to look casually and then stopped when she noticed who it was. Elijah. Walking towards him and out of the way of several students heading in to school before they were late for first period, AJ thought of the many possibilities of why he'd be here. Did he have information on Klaus?

"Elijah," she nodded her head at him, stopping three feet away. "What's up?"

"AJ, so glad to see you avoiding your deathly tendencies like we discussed. Oh—wait. You haven't been," his voice was smooth. Smoothly unhappy. "Let's take a walk, shall we?" He gestured to a trail in the woods where they could speak privately.

Adjusting the crossover bag that substituted as a backpack on her shoulder, she nodded. She knew she should feel scared or intimidated by being alone with him, but she wasn't. She felt oddly safer. He followed her as she walked on the trail, having only the snapping of leaves and twigs breaking the silence between them. She heard him stop behind her, so she stopped too. She turned around and waited for him to speak, to lash out at her, to do _something_. She passionately hated awkward silences.

When he said nothing, she began with, "So…" her eyes landing on anything but him.

"So you're friends don't know about your health condition." It was blunt and straight to the point. Kudos for that, but she didn't like the fact that he'd been digging through her medical file.

She glared at him. "Unfair. It's not like I can go searching for _your_ medical file, now, can I?"

"AJ, I am just making sure to cover all the bases. You are the main human I am supposed to protect. How am I supposed to do that correctly if information is withheld from me? You can imagine my surprise when I found out. I don't like surprises, AJ," he said menacingly, though not threateningly. Oddly, his voice obviously distinguished between the two.

"It's hardly anything to worry about. It's nothing, really," she shrugged it off. She was used to people's reactions being like this when they found out. She remembered Jeremy's. But she chose to see it as nothing—it hardly hindered her from doing anything. That was true, and that was what the doctor said. As long as she stayed on her medicine, she was as normal as anyone else. She didn't have a brain tumor or anything _that_ serious.

"_Nothing?"_ he thought she must be crazy. "I'd hardly call a rare neurological disorder _nothing._"

"Well, you have your ways of seeing it, and I have mine. Besides, it's not as if narcolepsy keeps me from doing anything. I have medicine." The actual disorder itself is incurable, but the medicine reduces the symptoms.

He shook his head, his face unreadable. "You should have informed me."

"Well, if you think it was truly necessary, Elijah, then I apologize. I didn't realize it was that big of a deal." She shrugged again but meant her apology.

He studied her for a moment. She was a complete enigma to him. Her long, chocolate brown hair reached to her mid-back, and her bangs just met her long dark eyelashes. Her eyes themselves were quite a spectacle. They were hazel, a mixture of bright greens, chocolate browns, hidden grays, and specks of gold. Her bottom lip was full and her top lip was adorable, it had a perfect cupids bow. She even had a beauty mark next to them, drawing even more attention to them. Her skin was a golden color, making her appear exotic but he knew her true heritage. In some ways, she looked similar to the doppelganger, Elena, but in others she looked completely the opposite. Why he studied her in this way, he didn't understand. He had seen plenty of beautiful women in his very long life, but this woman—this _girl_ who was so very young seemed to catch his eye every time he looked upon her. He thought maybe it was her strong attitude, the way she held herself. She was confident, that much was obvious, but she was also very kind and considerate for others. She had a blatant death wish that her friends chose to deny, never seeing it in the obvious way he did. Her careless demeanor simply screamed it. And why such a creature should want to die, he didn't understand. She was extremely intelligent—he had seen _all_ of her report cards and testing scores. They had been almost perfect. She was extremely athletic—she ran four miles almost every day, when time permitted. She had money and she had talent. The clothes she wore were nothing short of expensive and he had seen her leave the boarding house many times with her different hobbies—drawing, guitar, poetry, painting. He remembered hearing her sing, too. He shook his head. She was an enigma, and he wasn't sure what to think of her.

"You have been staring at me for an _incredibly_ long time, and I feel that I must inform you that I'm growing nervous. What's wrong?" she asked, half speaking in the old way that he did just to secretly mock him and half curious as to why he had been staring at her for so long. She disliked being stared at.

He shook his head. "Nothing. But if you do so wish to carry on with your careless ways, at least put my cell phone number in your phone, AJ. Should you ever need me, just call. Understand?" He handed her a business card that had just that—a number with nothing else on it. She nodded her head at him, tucking the card into a pocket of her shorts.

"Got it. But what if I'm drowning in a river when I go cliff diving this weekend?" she asked, pretending to be seriously bothered, "Should I buy a waterproof phone?"

She let him stare at her speechless for a moment before she burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. She collected herself easily and began walking past him, back towards the school when she called out, "Come on Elijah, lighten up. Cliff diving was _so_ last year for me. I'm past those childish stunts." He could still hear the humor _and_ honesty in her voice as she receded.

An enigma. That was all he could think of.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Six

Everyone muffled laughter as AJ walked in to 'Mr. Saltzman's' class, late as usual.

He huffed, turning on her. "AJ, are you _ever_ going to make it here on time?" He looked down at his wristwatch, "I see you've broken a new record. You're thirty minutes late!"

She looked at him innocently," Ala—I mean Mr. Saltzman, I have a very good reason for today!"

"Oh? And what might that be?" He raised a challenging eyebrow. Even though they were friend outside of school and she had a perfect hundred percent in his class, he wanted her to start showing up on time.

She gave him a pointed look, one that said she couldn't say it in front of everyone. His eyes widened ever so slightly and she knew he understood. Damon had briefed him about Elijah days ago. For appearances:

"AJ, just go take your seat. I'm tired of hearing excuses." He sounded worn out—and maybe he was what with all the vampires—so the class believed him.

She shrugged and turned around, seeing the class in whole. She noticed Luka among them. Waving at him as she took her usual seat next to Stephen, since he was the only one in their circle of friends that had first hour with her, she thought the guy seemed nice. Then she thought as she narrowed her eyes at the whiteboard that he had _better_ be nice, or else. Bonnie was her friend and she had her back.

After listening to Alaric lecture for several more minutes, the bell rang signaling the short break between first and second period.

Stephen caught her before she tried to escape from what was bound to be an interrogation.

"You spoke to Elijah?" he asked quietly as he narrowed his eyes at her, not appreciating the fact that she had tried to avoid him.

"Yep," she said shortly, hoping the questions would end there but knowing they wouldn't.

"What about?" Stephen pressed, curious. And worried. Sometimes he wondered if AJ made the right choices, sometimes he trusted her. Right now, he was worried that maybe she wasn't making the right choice.

"The beautiful weather, what else?" she said sarcastically, but joking just the same as she smirked.

"AJ—"

"Oh, gee Stephen, would you look at the time? If I don't hurry, I'll be late for second period. Wouldn't want that!" She called back to him as she fast walked down the hall, successfully losing him in throngs of students. He stared after her surprised and even more curious. She was hiding something.

Suddenly feeling like school was a waste of the remainder of the day, she acted on the impulse she actively suppressed when at school. She left. When she walked through the front doors, the secretary saw her but said nothing. She knew that AJ had perfect grades, so she didn't really care if she left.

Making her way to her car, AJ suddenly had the feeling that she was being watched. She stopped and turned in all directions, feeling like one of those paranoid people you hear about on TV. There was no one in sight, but that meant nothing. Oh gosh, she thought to herself, now she _was_ one of those paranoid people. But still, it held true. Anything from a vampire to a witch to a werewolf could be watching her, and she knew it. What a splendid idea it was to leave the presence of many witnesses to be all by her lonesome, she thought, mocking herself. She sometimes didn't think before she did things, and she knew that.

Continuing on her way to her car, she got in and locked the doors. She wasn't going to start hyperventilating, she wasn't going to take calming breaths, she was just going to start the car and leave. Because anything other than that would give away the face that she was scared, at least a little bit. But then she felt the card in the pocket of her shorts and pulled it out, looking at it. It comforted her, oddly. She thought about Elijah. He was extremely handsome, that much was obvious about him. He was a gentleman, too. The way he carried himself said that. But there was so much about him that she was curious about. How long has he lived? Has he ever been in love? _Can_ Originals love? How much has he learned in however long he's been alive? Does he have family? How much has he seen? How many languages could he speak? She was so curious about all these things, and yet she was left thinking that he was her own personal puzzle. He didn't seem to interact with the others, only her. After a moment longer of staring at the card, she pulled out her cell phone and plugged the numbers in. She put him as speed dial _13_ since that was her lucky number. She figured that if she ever needed to call him, she'd need all the luck she could get.

At that moment, her tattoo caught her eye. It wasn't hard to miss, nor was it easy to. It was on her wrist, but small. She didn't want an obnoxious one like she'd seen other people get. This had special meaning to her. _Dum spiro, spero._ She loved it, and it helped her get through some rough patches in her life. She remembered when she got it, back when she was sixteen. It had been possibly the most painful thing she'd ever had happen to her, which was saying something. Her daredevil tendencies had left her with many a scar and bruise, but this had been far worse.

Finally starting the car, she sped out of the school campus and onto the open road. She needed to clear her head. Putting some soft music on, she let her mind drift. She was the Warrior. She could be good or bad. That was the thing that scared her most about her new responsibility: she could be good or bad. And she was both of them. She knew it. She knew that much about herself. But the others didn't know it. They didn't hear the way a little voice inside her head would want the bad things to happen, the _horrible_ things. They didn't know about the way part of her would want to do the bad thing instead of the good. And they could never know. No one could. She realized that now. It was her kryptonite, and it would have to remain buried. She wouldn't let that part of herself come out and she wouldn't let Klaus convince her, no matter how much _part_ of her wanted to. And she knew that a part of her wanted Klaus to convince her the moment Elijah spoke the words. She was scared. She was afraid of herself.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 7

"Hello?" AJ answered her phone, not even bothering to check caller ID. She was sitting in a booth at the Grille waiting for Elena and the others.

"AJ, hey. I'm surprised you answered," the voice at the other end of the phone said, with—shockingly—surprise in their voice.

She froze completely. Then she hung up the phone and put it on the table before she threw it at someone.

"What was that about?" Jeremy asked as he walked up to the booth, sitting next to her. He contemplated picking up the phone but the look on her face told him that she'd probably murder him for it. So he didn't.

"Nothing," AJ said her voice lifeless. She stared straight ahead, a thousand thoughts reeling through her mind.

"It doesn't look like it was nothing," Jeremy said, pointing out the obvious. He saw Elena, Stephen, and Bonnie enter the Grille so he decided to drop it. But he _would_ bring it up later. It was obvious that something was bugging her.

AJ straightened up the moment she saw the others. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. She needed to focus on the moment she was in. The moment where she would finally tell her close friends about her sleeping disorder. She was worried, though. She was afraid that they would be mad at her for not telling them sooner.

"Hey AJ," Elena said as she slid into the seat opposite of her and Jeremy. "You sounded serious on the phone, what's up?" Stephen and Bonnie sat with her as well.

AJ debated putting her elbows on the table but felt that she would feel too uncomfortable. She kept her hands on her legs. Then she felt Jeremy rest his hand on hers comfortingly. She nearly jumped at the contact—no one ever touched her like that. But she looked over at him graciously. He was definitely helping by being there.

"Okay," AJ said, inhaling then exhaling. "You guys are probably going to be mad at me, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Well, I guess that's the reason you'd be mad at—"

"AJ," Bonnie stated calmly, seeing that AJ was on one of her rare nervous rants, "We can take it. Just tell us."

"Right," AJ said, breathing in and out again. She glanced at Jeremy before she started. "Do you all remember when, seven months ago, I blacked out?" They all nodded. "Okay, well, I told you it was just because I didn't eat breakfast that morning. But that's not true. That day I called my mom and asked her about our family medical history. She asked me why, and I told her about what happened. Then she said we needed to see a neurologist right away. So we did and well…"

"AJ if you don't just say it, I'm going to freak out. I'm not even kidding," Elena said, looking at her friend with fear.

"Oh, it's not a brain tumor or anything." They all breathed sighs of relief. "But it is a rare neurological disorder. I'm sure you're familiar with narcolepsy…"

Then both of the girls gasped. "AJ, you can't be serious!" Bonnie said, her eyes sad.

"It's not a big deal," AJ held up her hands. It really _wasn't _a big deal. "No need to freak. But this guy," AJ nudged Jeremy softly, smiling at him slightly, "Said that I had to tell you. So I have."

Elena, Bonnie, and Stephen stared at Jeremy incredulously.

"You already _knew?_" Elena exclaimed. "How? Why?"

Jeremy scoffed, "Wow, thanks Sis. You don't think people confide in me? Look at my face, it just screams 'sensitive'."

AJ laughed. "No, he found out because he was waiting to take me to school one morning when my car was in the shop and my doctor just so happened to be leaving a voicemail on my message machine. You can imagine his face, I'm sure. It's very similar to yours right now actually." Jeremy and AJ laughed, but the others were still processing information.

"So you're… okay then?" Bonnie asked hesitantly.

"Yep, as long as I stick with my meds, I'm fine." AJ brushed off her worry, just like she did with everyone.

They all looked suddenly more optimistic. "That's great then." Elena said, smiling at her friend.

"Yes it is, and now if you'll all excuse me, I suddenly feel extremely awkward. You all know my secrets. It's weird." AJ used that as an excuse to leave before any questions could be asked. And before Jeremy could question her about her phone call.

But sadly, her plan didn't work very well.

"AJ, wait up," Jeremy called for her as he raced to catch up with her. Her hand was on the door to the Grille. She _nearly_ escaped.

"AJ," he said again, panting, "Can we talk?"

She looked at him now, seeing the worry clear on his face. She nodded. This was not going to be a pleasant talk.

They took a walk to the town center and took a seat on a bench in front of the Founder's fountain. AJ could see that he was having trouble putting together the question he wanted to ask her. She just wanted to get this over with.

"You want to know who called me." It was a statement without any emotion, but it wasn't emotionless. It was just a statement. She noticed him shift awkwardly beside her. She pulled one of her legs up to rest underneath her as she rested her elbow on the side of the bench, then turned and looked him in the eyes.

After looking at her for a moment, he nodded. "Yeah. You seemed… upset. Plus, you only said hello and then hung up. So what's up AJ? What's wrong?" He looked genuinely worried for her, his eyebrows coming together.

She sighed. She hadn't expected _anyone_ to find out, but of course Jeremy would. He seemed to figure out all her secrets. "It's really not a big deal," she said, trying to dismiss it. It didn't have the effect she had hoped because he looked even more worried.

"AJ, I know that you keep secrets from everyone, but come on. I'm seriously worried about you. Who was it? Why were you so freaked out?" He ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes glued to her.

She stared at the fountain for a moment, silence coming over them as she thought. Should she tell him? Would he tell the others if she did? Maybe she should just make something up… But it was Jeremy. He'd see that. She sighed yet again, her shoulders dramatically moving up and down. She wasn't sure what to do.

"AJ… Please." He rested a hand on her arm, getting her eyes to find his. And she could only see complete sincerity in them.

"Jeremy… You can't tell anyone." She hated to make him keep this from the others also, but he was the one who wanted to know so badly. He would have to if he wanted her to tell him.

"I promise you, AJ, I won't." His voice was as genuine as his eyes, and she knew he was telling the truth.

"Even if it seems like it endangers me," she added, knowing he wouldn't like that one bit.

He froze, looking at her seriously. "Endanger… AJ are you in trouble?"

"Jeremy—"

"Right, right. I have to promise." He hesitated and she could see that he was thinking over his options. She doubted that he wanted to agree to it now that he knew she was in some kind of trouble, but she could also see that he_ wanted_ to know. He probably wanted to keep her safe, as usual. She internally scoffed. Men.

"Okay… I promise I won't tell anyone, even if it seems like it endangers you." He phrased it the way she had before, hoping that there was a miniscule chance that it only _seemed_ like she was in danger.

She nodded her head. "It was my ex. He tries calling about one to three times a month to see if I'll answer. Sometimes, when he's desperate, he'll call more often. Like once a day."

Jeremy absorbed this information. "Why is he your ex?"

"I broke up with him. He started…" she trailed off, sighing once more. She rubbed at her temples. She had never actually said the words out loud—the past was the past, even if it did try getting into her present every now and then.

"He started hitting you?" Jeremy exclaimed, his face aghast. "AJ—you?" Then he looked mad. He actually looked almost murderous, which AJ would have thought amusing with a different circumstance.

"Jeremy, it's not a big deal—"

"_Not a big deal?_ Really AJ? He _hit_ you. To me, that's a big deal. And I'm sure it would be to Stephen, Elena, Bonnie, Damon, even Elijah—"

"Jeremy, you promised! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" Now she was getting mad. She had confided in him, and now he was hinting that the others wouldn't be happy about it either. She already knew that! That's why she never mentioned it to them! "If you don't intend on keeping your promise Jeremy, then don't think about talking to me anymore." She moved to get up and leave, but he caught her arm, keeping her where she was. He was stronger than she realized.

"AJ," he said, looking like a mixture of sadness and frustration as well as anger. "I did promise you. I know that. And I'll keep that promise… I just—I don't like it. I don't like it one bit."

Seeing the truth in his words again, she nodded. He wouldn't tell anyone, and she wasn't mad anymore. She was just sad that she had worried him. She hated worrying people. "Jeremy… This is why I didn't want to tell you. Now you're worried and I know you want to tell the others, or do something about it, or whatever you men like to do, but you have to realize that this is _my _problem to handle. Okay?"

He shook his head. Her hope that he understood diminished yet again. "But AJ you aren't alone in this. You have all of us!"

She huffed, crossing her arms. "I _know _that Jer, I do. But this is my problem, and I can handle it." She told herself that a million times to the point where she believed it. She could handle her ex. As long as she kept ignoring his calls and as long as—

"But what if he comes looking for you? What then?" Jeremy pointed out. And he knew he had a good point.

She hesitated. That was the part she always tried keeping out of her mind. She didn't like to think about it. "Then I'll handle it," she whispered, her eyes closed. She didn't want to think about it—she couldn't. She was stronger than that. She was stronger than what she used to be.

Jeremy reached out again for her but she pulled away. "Okay, so now you know what you wanted to know, Jeremy. I have to go, though. I'll see you tomorrow at school," she stood quickly and walked away, leaving him staring after her worriedly. She knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant talk.

**~Review please!(:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**Chapter 8**

"Elijah? What are you doing here?" AJ looked dumbfounded at the vampire looking out her window, his back to her and his arms crossed as he surveyed the scene outside. She truly had a beautiful view of the forest and some of the garden.

He turned around and looked at her, arms still crossed. His face was unreadable so she couldn't guess what he was thinking, as she imagined was the way it usually was for herself.

"I just came to check up on you. You obviously haven't called my cell phone yet, so you must not have gotten yourself into any problems. That's good." His voice was as silky as it usually was, and had a twinge of appreciation in it.

"No I haven't within the day you last checked up on me. My plans for skydiving and clubbing are this weekend, so I would make sure your battery is charged. Did I mention I have a soft spot for biker clubs? Nothing gets me going like a greasy biker with a goatee," she said it as seriously as she possibly could as she fully entered her room, slipping off her jacket and putting it on a chair.

He looked at her for a moment, studying the way she could keep a completely straight face—a believable one—then said, "Very funny." His voice said it was anything but.

"I knew you had a sense of humor," she joked as she smiled at him. He watched as she turned her back to him and opened up her large closet door, grabbing a hanger and putting her jacket on it delicately. She obviously loved her leather jackets. Then he pondered what she just did. She turned her _back_ to him. No one, over the large span of years he had lived, had ever trusted him enough to do such a thing. He was surprised, as he always seemed to be by this strange girl. And then to think of the way she spoke to him! It was as if he weren't an Original vampire for Heaven's sake! She said what she pleased, she used sarcasm and humor, and she just _spoke_ to him. She wasn't afraid of him, that much was clear by now. He was so used to others—especially humans—quivering in his presence. Even vampires feared him, utterly. He wasn't sure how to act around her. He didn't like that she didn't fear him.

"So any progress on the whole locating-Klaus project of yours?" she asked casually as she grabbed her backpack and looked over the material she was supposed to study for the huge test she had the following day. She really didn't feel like it.

"My witches are hard at work," he said simply, cryptically. He wouldn't tell her even if he had found something—he doubted her ability to keep herself from getting killed. If he told her where Klaus was, when he found out himself, she'd probably do something ignorantly stupid.

"I see," she said, catching on to the fact that he wasn't going to tell her much. She threw her backpack on her bed, and then crossed her arms as she looked at him. "I _see_ that you aren't much of a share-er. Trust, albeit hard, is something everyone needs, Elijah." She said it jokingly, but was serious with her implication that he ought to let her in on things.

He scoffed, "You're one to talk from what I've seen. First, the unknown medical condition. Now, the unknown ex-boyfriend who may or may not be a threat. Tell me AJ, where is your trust?" He enunciated each word like he seemed to when he was trying to make a point.

She glared at him. Something not many dared to do. "Well obviously I can trust the fact that you've been spying on me! Really, Elijah? That's just—that's ridiculous." She almost pouted.

He looked at her as if she were missing some kind of point. Which she was. "_Spying?_ I would hardly call it that extreme, AJ. It's much more like _protecting_ you. Do you not appreciate the fact that I'm trying to do that?" He raised an eyebrow at her, challenging her.

She kept her head held high as she looked at him. "I do appreciate it, Elijah, but I don't think you have to watch me every _second_ of every _day_." She was _not_ happy.

"Do you really think that's how I spend my time? If you do, then you're rather naïve. I was simply on my way here when I saw you at the town center with that boy. I was curious, so I stopped to listen."He thought his reasoning was valid, but he could see that it still wasn't with her.

"So you chose to eavesdrop on a private conversation? Wonderful. That's just fantastic. And tell me, Elijah, how much did you hear?" This was when she grew nervous. AJ had doubted that Elijah would care about an abusive ex when Jeremy mentioned his name, but now the doubt was in the fact that he _could_ care. At least for safety reasons.

"All of it," he stated, then chose to take a seat on a chair by the window. He sat comfortably in it, making it obvious. She was to obey him—not the other way around.

She closed her eyes and put a hand to her head, trying to stay calm. Although she usually found him amusing in his strange ways, he could also just _dig_ into her nerves. She breathed in and out. "You suck," she finally said with as much anger as she could muster. But the rest of her was calm and neutral, due to her many hours of meditating. It truly helped.

"Is that all you have to say? You seemed quite angry before," he knew by now that he was getting on her nerves. He was testing just how much he could get to her.

"Yes, well I'm not much of a reactive person. I, unlike most of the human race, have amazing self control. So you are forgiven, Elijah." She knew that he wouldn't like that and internally smiled wickedly.

He scoffed at her, zooming to his feet and in her face. "I am _forgiven?_ Do you forget who the Original is here, or are you simply naïve? _You_ show _me_ respect, AJ. _I_ forgive _you_, if you ever do earn such a thing. Do you understand the way things work?" He was in her face and threatening. And yet, she looked unshaken. Actually, she looked as if his little rant had simply been some boring lecture in one of her school classes. This made him even madder.

"Elijah," she said calmly, "You do not boss me around. I understand that you are some ancient Original and that many fear you and such," she added dramatic gestures, "but you don't scare me and I won't be intimidated by you. Do _you_ understand_ that?_ Or are you too naïve?" She used his words against him, mostly because it offended her. Even if she was young, she was wise beyond her years. She knew of things most of her friends didn't—she had seen too much of the world at too young of an age. She would not let him tell her that she was _naïve_. She was far from it.

He wanted to lash out at her. How dare she say such disrespectful things to him? But he kept calm. He couldn't harm the Warrior—that would be a very bad idea. He walked away from her and to the large window again, letting his anger diminish. She wouldn't be tamed. He could see that. But what was he supposed to do to get her to obey him? Could he do nothing? No, he could always do something. He was an Original. He was powerful.

He heard her sigh from behind him. "Elijah, I know you probably aren't used to people not freaking out just because you're in the same room as them, but I don't get scared easily. You're just going to have to accept that."

He whipped around, looking at her. The golden specks in her hazel eyes glinted with the falling sun. "Why?"

"Like I said, I just don't scare—"

"No," he interrupted her, "Why aren't you like the others? Why aren't you frightened by me?"

She understood his question now. She stared at him, his chocolate liquid brown eyes. She shrugged. "I grew up a lot faster than my friends. I've seen things that most people in their entire lifetime will never see—will never _experience_. I'm not normal and I know that. So, you need to, too."

He was baffled. What could she have possibly seen or experienced that caused her to be so fearless? The idea perturbed him. Vampires of course have seen so much, and yet they still held fear within them. What happened to this girl?

"What's his name, your ex?" Elijah suddenly asked. He thought that maybe _he_ had done something to her to make her this way. Oddly, he felt an emotion that could only be described as pure anger when he thought of a man hitting this young girl.

She laughed, "I'm not telling you. I may not like him, but I don't want him dead. I'm not that cold."

He looked at her a moment, then smiled slightly. He zoomed over to her bag—the one he'd seen her put her phone in—and picked it up, zooming back over to the opposite side of the room from her.

"Hey—that's not fair!" she said as she ran towards him.

He laughed at the thought of her attempting to even get the bag from him. He looked through it and finally found the phone. He discarded the bag on the bed easily with a light toss then began opening the phones call history. Her body was very close to him as she protested, her hands reaching out to take the phone from him. He could feel the body heat radiating off of her. He felt strange for a moment, but then shook it off and looked at the call history. Lucas Herring was the last person who called her. He memorized the number and the name in a second. He wished she had stored his personal address in the device. It would make it very simple.

"Elijah!" her voice was pleading, "Elijah, please don't do anything! Please!"

He looked down at her as he put the phone into her hand. As his hand touched hers, he felt her soft flesh. He felt strange again. Why did this human make him feel odd emotions? But then he saw the tears forming in her eyes. He saw the way they brought out the green in them. She was beautiful, even when crying. A tear was about to fall but he reached out and caught it before it did. They stared at each other, her eyes wide and his unreadable. What did he just do? Catch a _tear?_ And why? Why was he acting so strangely? He couldn't answer any of his questions that _begged_ answers. He chose to ignore them.

"If this man hurt you then why are you protecting him?" He just didn't understand that. If someone had hurt himself, he'd kill them without a thought. Why didn't she feel the same way?

He could see that she was trying to hold back her tears.

"Elijah, just because he hurt me doesn't mean that I want him _dead._ He is in my past, and that's where he'll remain. Even if he _is_ trying to come back into my life, I'm not letting him. But please don't kill him, Elijah. There's already been so much death…" she trailed off, thinking of all the friends, or even just acquaintances that have already been killed. She couldn't bear anymore blood.

He studied her face and for the first time he could read her expression. She was sad. She was torn up inside because of all the death that surrounded her and threatened her friends every day. That was why she negotiated with him. He exhaled, debating whether to follow through with his plans to find and kill the man or not. Looking at her, right then, he decided not to. And he really wasn't sure why that was.

"Fine," he said quietly, knowing she was sensitive in that moment even if she was tough, "I'll not kill him. Not yet, anyway. If I find out that he poses a threat to you, then I will without a second thought. We won't negotiate that time, AJ, remember that. We won't always negotiate."

She nodded her head fiercely, relieved that he chose not to kill Lucas. She knew that if he had, then his blood would've been on _her_ hands, not Elijah's. She would have been the reason for his death. "Thank you," she said, keeping her voice strong in its usual way instead of weak like she felt right then.

He nodded, looking into her eyes. Then he was gone.

**~Review please, even if you don't like it(:**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 9

It was several days later when AJ, Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, and Stephen were sitting down at their usual lunch table, making small talk as they ate.

"Guys!" Bonnie exclaimed as she rushed up to them, swiftly taking a seat next to Elena. Her hair was slightly disarrayed and she looked worried. "Did you hear?"

"About what?" Elena asked, fearing the worst. Was someone dead? Was Klaus here?

Bonnie leaned in to the table and kept her voice quiet, "Apparently some guys have been planning a food fight and it's about to go down _soon_. Word's spread and a lot of people are in on it."

Elena put her palms on the table, breathing a sigh of relief. The others just shrugged at the information, not really interested in it. "That's all?" Elena asked.

"What do you mean that's all? Caroline? AJ? Don't you care about your clothes getting food on them?" Bonnie was confused. She had thought her information was useful, at least for the girls so they could escape without any ketchup battle wounds.

Caroline, deep in thought about Matt, shrugged. The others turned to look at AJ, who they knew cared passionately about her clothes, expecting her to find cover while she could.

AJ continued eating her salad, shrugging like Caroline. "They enlisted in my help, actually," AJ stated, thinking it was no big deal.

"What?" everyone exclaimed simultaneously, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Yup," she looked up, seeing their faces. She smirked. "Guys, the staff knows that if _I_ go and take cover, then something's going down. Remember that's how they stopped it the last time? So I know that right now, as people are putting their hoods up which is causing the staff members to be suspicious, they're watching _me_ to see what I do. As long as I act like nothing's going on, then they won't think anything's happening until it does." She shrugged again.

"Well, why are you helping this time? I thought you said it was childish," Elena pointed out, still confused. But then she realized that AJ was always doing weird things.

"We're seniors!" AJ exclaimed with enthusiasm, "It's a senior prank. I have decided to at least take part in that, if nothing else. Plus, I could see that they needed me in on it if it's gonna happen."

"Who are they?" Bonnie asked, curious.

"_They_ are Tyler, Matt, and a couple other football guys. They were excited about it, I guess," AJ explained. She saw Caroline perk up at the mention of Matt.

"So what's your part exactly?" Jeremy asked.

"Well," AJ looked down at the wristwatch Tyler gave to her to borrow, "At exactly 11:23, I'm supposed to get up and throw away my tray. Then I make my exit. Simple as that." AJ decidedly left out some parts. She figured she'd make it interesting for them.

She heard a number of responses similar to 'hmm'. She looked down at the watch again. It was 11:22. Just as the last number turned into a three, she stood up and made her way to the garbage in the front of the cafeteria. She saw the principal watching her literally like a hawk—his eyes were squinted as if he were scrutinizing her. She smiled at him kindly, in her usual manner, immediately making him relax. After throwing away her tray, she spotted Tyler by the main entrance to the cafeteria. She walked over to him.

"You know I could get in a _lot_ of trouble for this, right?" AJ asked as she smirked at him.

"Yes, but then you'll be sharing detention with me. That's not so bad, now, is it?" He winked at her, making her smile. He gave her a long, fat piece of wood. "You know what to do with this, I presume."

She nodded and gave him his wristwatch back. "Well, see you in detention." They both grinned as she walked out the main entrance. After both of the doors closed she heard shouting and screams as the food fight started. She shook her head: boys. She proceeded to jam the piece of wood in the handles of the double doors. Tyler knew that this would be the first exit everyone tried and told her that he thought it'd be more fun if it was blocked off. She knew that she had been caught the moment she walked out the door with the piece of wood. The principal had still been staring at her, and still was through the small glass windows in the doors as he shouted orders at rambunctious high school students.

AJ smirked.

"I never thought you were one for childish pranks, AJ," Elijah said chidingly. He was leaning against the side of the building, wearing a business suit as always. Not that AJ was complaining.

She shrugged and smirked. "I was bored and I had a test I forgot to study for seventh period. It appears that it'll be postponed until tomorrow," she winked at him as she began walking towards the parking lot.

He followed her. "I see. And where are you going now?"

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the wind flow through her hair as she walked. Opening them, she looked back at him, "Just for a ride." She reached her car and stopped, removing her crossover bag from her shoulders. Just as she opened the driver's door to her car, Elijah put a hand on it.

"No, you aren't," his voice was simple yet filled with presumed authority.

"Oh? And why not?" She didn't like being told what to do.

"Because, AJ, how long has it been since you've last had an adrenaline rush?" He looked her in the eyes, his face unreadable. He knew that the others didn't _see_ her the way he did, which was plainly and clearly in some cases and completely vague and opaque in others. But he knew this much about her.

She just returned his stare, her own unreadable although she was suppressing her shock. He knew about that? How could he _possibly_ know? "How?" she asked him, her voice full of curiosity.

"Answer my question first," he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

She thought about it a moment, then said hesitantly, "Four days."

He nodded and looked off to the side a moment, thinking. "You aren't driving. Get in the passenger side."

She laughed, "Elijah, it's really not a big deal. I won't get hurt, I promise." She smiled up at him, thinking he'd see how ridiculous he was being. He didn't.

"No."

"Elijah, I take the road that no one ever goes on—"

"That is, of course, until someone suddenly appears on it. Tell me, AJ, what would you do then? Would you choose your life or theirs for your own dangerous addiction? Or perhaps there would be no choice at all and you would both die." He spoke as if she were a drug addict.

She was taken aback but quickly collected herself. Then a thought occurred to her. "Wow, Elijah, and here I was thinking that Originals didn't feel anything. You're sounding dangerously close to caring about me," she said the words softly, as if he did care for her.

He laughed without humor. "AJ, please don't naively confuse my concern for your safety with having even the most acute feelings for you." He looked at her with indifference, but he even doubted himself as he said the cruel words. What did that mean?

She shrugged. "Then I'll gladly let you get in the passenger side," she offered.

He looked at her, all patience diminishing from him. "You are not driving."

"Yes, I think I am," she stated defiantly as she ducked under his arm that was blocking her from getting into the car. She slid in easily and put her bag behind her in the back seats.

"AJ—"

"Elijah, if you truly only care for my safety, then I suggest getting in the passenger side. It'll only be a few minutes, so chill, okay? I've done this a million times." The engine roared to life as she started it. She put her seatbelt on, waiting for him to get out of the way so she could close the door.

He looked at her, unsure of what to do. He could remove her forcibly, but that would not make her cooperative in the future—it would only make things worse. He slammed her door shut and zoomed over to the passenger side, getting in. "You better not do anything stupid," he said threateningly.

"Scared?" she asked innocently as she gazed at him. Before he had a chance to rebut, she peeled out of the parking lot and was on the road. She took a left and ended up on another road that she knew wouldn't have many cars on it, if none at all. She let the speed of the car increase, shifting every so often when it called for. She loved stick-shifts. The steering wheel was super-sensitive as the car moved, and she held it expertly, turning the car perfectly. Just as she was reaching 100, she opened the compartment in between the two front seats.

Elijah looked down into the compartment and suppressed a groan. In it, there were many buttons and things attached to what looked like what street racing cars had in them. He had no doubt that it did something extremely stupid.

"The thing I love about cars," AJ half shouted and half spoke over the wind's noise from the open sunroof, "Is how fast they can go. And they go even faster when you have one of these," she gestured at the machine.

Elijah watched as she smiled wickedly. She flipped something open on the stick exposing a button which he presumed was connected to the machine.

"It's NOS," she explained. He suppressed another groan—he didn't have to know what this NOS was to know that it wasn't good.

"AJ, I—"

She cut him off when she pushed the button, holding on to it as the car jerked forward, going even faster now. The outside world was a blur and she closed her eyes, enjoying the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins. It was liberating for her, it was like therapy. She loved it.

He watched her in shock when she closed her eyes, still keeping the car steady. Did she have no care for her own personal safety? What was wrong with this girl?

Finally she opened her eyes as she began to slow the car down. It was nearing a little place she often went to so she could think. The car pulled to a stop but her heart was still racing. She put her head back on the seat, smiling as her eyes were closed again and she gripped the steering wheel. She loved her car. Swiftly, she undid her seatbelt and got out of the car. She began walking into the forest, trying to make the feeling last. She felt like she was floating on air, she was happy.

Coming up to the little waterfall, she removed her flip-flops and sat down on a rock, putting her feet in the cold water. She was blissful. And then there was Elijah.

He could see that she had completely forgotten about him, that she was in her own little world and enjoying it. Whatever world that was. He refused to admit to himself that she did intrigue him. And his feelings. He had felt something back there when she used the machine in the car to make it go even faster. Had it been fear for her? He wasn't quite sure, but he thought that the idea of it was ridiculous. Yes, she was the Warrior. Yes, she was important. But she was only important in the matter that she stay alive and on Elena's side rather than Klaus's, not in the matter of his heart. His heart? He backtracked to that thought. Had he just compared her importance to his _heart?_ He internally scoffed. He hadn't felt such a way about another being in thousands of years. In fact, he hadn't _felt_ for anyone in that long. His heart stopped working in that way a very long time ago. Surely he couldn't feel something for her, like she had implied? He looked over to her as she sat on a rock, gazing at the waterfall in the pond before her like she didn't have a care in the world. Enigma. The word came up again. She was an enigma.

"Why?" his question broke the silence, surprising her.

"Why what?" she asked, remembering his presence.

"Why do you do it?"

She laughed, "I thought you knew that already. For the adrenaline rush. You seem to be the only one who's figured out that I'm in fact an adrenaline junkie. Points for you," she mock cheered.

He shook his head, "No, why do you _need_ the adrenaline rush?"

Her smile disappeared. "Oh," she said, thinking. "Well, I guess when you get an adrenaline rush, time slows down. Thirty seconds is more like thirty minutes. A moment lasts a little bit longer. I guess I'm just trying to expand the moments I have…" she trailed off, an odd expression on her face.

"But you don't have to worry about dying in the sacrifice. Why are you worried about how many moments you have?" He truly didn't understand her. She said it as if she had only one day left to live. Why did she put herself in danger willingly just to expand a moment?

She looked up at him, her hands back behind her, supporting her. She pursed her lips. "Well, I guess to other people, a lifetime is enough. But it's not for me. It's…" she trailed off again.

He finally understood. "You don't like the fact that even as you are young and alive, you are still dying. You don't like the fact that you'll die someday." He stated it instead of asking. He could see it clearly.

She nodded. "I'm not afraid of death, I just—I just don't want to die…" she whispered. She was surprised at herself. She had never admitted that to anyone before.

"Immortality appeals to you," he stated again, unraveling just a little bit of this puzzle. It explained at least one part of her—why she was so careless. But he saw in the car that she wasn't exactly careless, she was freer than anything else.

She held her head in her hands, frustrated with herself. There she was, admitting to a vampire of all creatures, that immortality appealed to her. It was stupid of her, and it was stupid to even want such a thing. She knew Elena and the others would be startled with such information.

He could see that she was unhappy with herself for wanting to be immortal. She was suddenly so easy to read—like an open book, almost. It was so different than her usual impassiveness, the guard she kept up at all times. He thought maybe this place allowed her to be just that—herself.

"You can drive back," she said quietly. She didn't think she could do it herself without doing something stupid. She didn't want to be that way again, not today.

He nodded and watched her make her way back to the car. Although she was a puzzle, it didn't mean he couldn't someday put her together. And maybe she needed that, too.

**Give me some feedback guys!(: Tell me what I'm doing wrong or right or whatever so I can improve on future chapters!(:~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

**A/N: Due to lack of feedback, I'm beginning to wonder if this story should continue. I see that I have a lot of visitors, but still should I scrap it or keep going? I do need some feedback. **

Chapter 10

_She was wearing a gown, a brilliant red one. She looked absolutely beautiful in it with her long dark hair cascading down her back in curls. She was waiting for someone, but she wasn't sure who. She wasn't even sure why._

_It was dark out, and the only light came from that of the lantern on the carriage that brought her here. She was in the middle of the woods and she could see dark trees outlined by white mist all around her. Something wasn't right. She shouldn't be here. But she wanted to be. At least part of her did, anyway. _

_One of the horses attached to the carriage whinnied and stomped his foot, then the other horse followed. Something was disturbing them. Suddenly the first one bucked, letting out a shrill sound, then took off into the night with the other horse right by its side. She was frightened as she heard their hooves stomp on the ground from a distance. She was alone now. _

_She began to get goose-bumps on her arms as she became cold. The night had started out with slight warmth to it, but now it felt as if winter were near. What was going on? What had upset her horses so much that they left her? There was no longer any light. She was surrounded by darkness and tall, intimidating trees._

"_AJ," she heard her name whispered as if through the wind. She looked all around her, startled. "AJ," it repeated, leaving an echo. Something definitely wasn't right. Who was she waiting for? And why? _

"_Ah, AJ. There you are, my love," she heard his voice, the beautiful rich voice as she turned to see—_

AJ woke up, sweat running down her forehead as her heart pounded manically in her chest. What was that all about? Her dream had been so vivid that it felt like it was real. She shook her head—it was just a dream. It wasn't anything to worry about—that was just silly.

She looked over at the alarm clock on the side of her bed, seeing that it was seven-thirty. Oh man! She was going to be late! She hurried out of bed and into the bathroom, quickly getting dressed and doing her hair. She brushed her teeth as quick as she could, then ran out the door and down the stairs. She noticed the older women give her odd looks as she ran out the front door, but didn't stop to explain. She had to serve her detention with Tyler this morning as an extra punishment for what she did. Extra, because it was Saturday. The principal said that he'd love to be at the school, just for them. She had been ecstatic.

When she arrived at the school and in the proper classroom, her hair was slightly disarrayed and her cheeks were a little red. "Sorry I'm late," she panted as she took a seat next to Tyler. Tyler looked up at her and smirked.

"Yes, well, sorry doesn't really do much for you now, Ms. Echo. So tell me, you two, now that you have to spend your Saturday like this, do you regret your actions?" Their principal, Mr. Johnson, asked snottily.

AJ looked over at Tyler, who grinned. "Not really," she said, "It was well worth it. Besides, daydreaming is like, my _favorite_ thing to do, so you're really doing me a favor." She winked at Tyler who was keeping himself from laughing.

Mr. Johnson just shook his head. "I must say, I did expect it from Tyler, but not from you AJ. What a shame."

AJ rolled her eyes and looked at the clock. It was eight-ten. They still had until two-thirty.

"So as part of your punishment, I would like the both of you to finish painting the banners we need for the huge football tournament. Understood?" Mr. Johnson said it as if it were the worst punishment ever. AJ wanted to laugh.

"Yes sir," she mocked him as she saluted him.

Four hours later, she discovered that it was indeed a punishment. But at least she had Tyler there to keep her company.

"So can I ask you something, AJ?" Tyler asked, sounding hesitant as he painted a 'Go Crows' on yet another banner.

"Of course, I am an open book," AJ made a dramatic gesture as she smiled.

"Well… does it bother you that I'm a werewolf?" He sounded genuinely worried.

AJ stopped painting and looked at him, making him stop and look at her too, his eyes furrowed together.

"Tyler, of course not. It doesn't bother me at all, so don't ever think so. Okay?" She meant every word of it.

He nodded, looking down sheepishly. "Okay. But how can you stand it? Your best friend is a doppelganger, Bonnie is a witch, and Caroline, Damon, and Stephen are vampires. How do you deal with it?"

AJ laughed, but then sighed. "Tyler, there's something you haven't exactly been clued into yet…"

He stared at her. "And what might that be?"

She sighed again, sitting down against the brick building. Mr. Johnson made them paint outside.

"Tyler… I'm a supernatural… thing, too. I'm a Warrior." She didn't look at him, but only let her shoulders slump.

He processed the information. "And what exactly is a Warrior?" The word was foreign on his tongue.

"The Warrior basically can be good or bad. They can either help Klaus with the sacrifice, or they can prevent it. Take a guess at which one I am?" she said, winking at him.

He laughed, "AJ I have no doubt in my mind that you are good."

She smiled at him genuinely. "Thank you, Tyler." His words meant a lot to her, and it helped the better side of her stay strong. She wouldn't let her dark side take over. She wouldn't disappoint her friends.

"Of course," he said seriously. Then he added, teasingly, "Warrior, ha. Makes you sound like a boy."

She glared at him. Then she did what her instincts told her to do—she took her paintbrush and put a glob of blue paint from the bucket next to her on it, then flicked it at him, getting blue paint all over his clothes and skin. She laughed now, thinking of the movie Avatar.

"Hey, not fair!" Tyler laughed then did the same to her. Which made her mad. She stood up and took the entire bucket this time and splashed the paint all over him. He looked mock-angry. He then moved quickly to grab his own bucket before she could reach it and did what she did to him—splashed it all over her clothes.

"Tyler!" AJ giggled as the cold paint trudged down her body, "You suck!"

Tyler laughed and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. "I take offense to that you know. _Vampires_ suck, AJ." He laughed again as she flailed her arms, trying to get out of his grasp. He was a lot stronger than she realized.

"A-hem," a deep, rich voice produced from behind them. Tyler whipped around, making AJ's head spin as he did so. "Put the girl down." AJ couldn't see him, but she knew it was Elijah. He didn't sound too happy.

As her feet finally found solid ground again, AJ too turned to see Elijah. "Hey…" She said as she tried to get globs of paint out of her hair and stand steady at the same time. "What's up?"

"_What's up?"_ Elijah repeated, infuriated. "_What's up_ is you, here, alone with a werewolf. Is this of no concern to you AJ? Oh, and the fact that you told him what you are. Tell me AJ, are you simply stupid or just so horrifically careless?" From the moment he saw them together, laughing and sharing things, anger built within him. It was something he didn't understand. He couldn't put a name to it. But it built and it built until he made himself known. He didn't want her that close to a werewolf, even if it wasn't a night of a full moon. He didn't want her near him at all, and he wasn't sure why that was. It just _was._

AJ glared at him, jutting out her hip and putting a hand on it. Even as she looked like a mess, she had her dignity. "Stupid? Really, Elijah? Gee, you know how to make a girl feel special," she scoffed, "And yes Tyler is a _werewolf_ but _you_ are an Original vampire. Tell me, _Elijah, _which is more dangerous? Especially at this moment? So are you just stupid or horrifically ignorant?" She had it with his over-protectiveness. She could take care of herself and she chose who her friends were. No one was going to tell her who she could or couldn't see.

Tyler stared between the two, shocked. He had heard from Jules about Originals, but he had never meant one. And he could sense just how powerful this one was. It frightened him.

It was Elijah's turn to scoff. He zoomed up into her face, invading her personal space as they were nearly nose to nose. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner? When are you going to learn to respect me? I am _choosing_ to protect you and your friends. I am not doing so for my own benefit. It's time you start seeing that, AJ. I can easily snap your neck, rip your heart out of your chest, anything. It's so very _easy_ for me, AJ. You need to learn to have some _respect._" His voice was intimidating and threatening, but she met his glare with one of her own. He didn't understand her, still. He just couldn't figure her out. Any other human would be cowering away from him—they would have done so just with his presence alone. The Warriors he'd met in previous years never acted like she did—they were all afraid of him, too. Why was she not? How could she have the audacity to speak to him in such a way, to _look_ at him in such a way? He knew that she said she was different than other people, but she couldn't be _that_ different. All creatures—human, werewolf, vampire—held some sort of fear in them. She acted as if she didn't at all.

"I think that's something _you _need to learn, Elijah. I thought before, by the waterfall, you were starting to understand. I thought you were starting to realize that I'm not afraid of anything—not you, not Klaus, not death. You need to realize that. I'm sorry that I don't freak out over you like everyone else does, but just deal with it, okay?" She had confidence that some day he would see that she wouldn't back down from his challenging looks or words. She would never let someone boss her around. Not ever. But she had really thought that before at the waterfall he was starting to understand her a little. Maybe it was just because she was with a werewolf and he, like most vampires, had a prejudice about them? That was a possibility.

He said nothing as he continued to stare at her, looking from each of her sparkling eyes. "Are you finished here," he motioned around him at what the two had been doing before he interrupted.

She glanced down at her watch. "Yes, Tyler and I can leave. It's after two-thirty." She looked over at Tyler, just realizing that he was in fact cowering by the brick wall of the school. Poor kid.

"Good," Elijah said briskly, "I shall see to it that you get home then." He motioned a hand towards the parking lot that had only her and Tyler's cars in it. He used his vampire speed to get here.

She laughed without humor. "I'm assuming you're driving." She began walking towards her car, waving a quick goodbye to Tyler who only looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yes."

AJ crossed her arms as she walked. She was sick of having a babysitter. She was sick of not being able to do whatever she wanted to do, like she could before. Yes, he was protecting her and her friends but he could at least chill out a little more. She reached her car, getting in the passenger seat with a huff. The paint was somewhat dried, but she was still worried about getting it all over the interior. She was careful.

Before Elijah followed AJ to her car, he gave the Lockwood boy a warning glare. He thought it said everything that needed to be said without words. He watched her as she angrily got in the passenger side of the car. He got in the driver's side but didn't start the engine.

"I apologize," he said quietly, surprising himself. He rarely ever spoke those words, especially to a human. In fact, he couldn't remember ever saying it to a human before.

She looked over at him, studying him. "For what?" she asked hesitantly. She was as surprised as he was.

"I seem to be overbearing to you," he met her gaze. "I apologize for that. You don't seem to be used to having someone around that tries to keep you out of trouble."

She stayed silent, proving his statement correct.

"Where are your parents, AJ?" He asked quietly, studying every feature of her face carefully. He wasn't sure how she would react to that question.

She looked away from him for a moment, and then looked back at him. Her face was unreadable. "Back home," she answered shortly. She didn't want to talk about her parents.

"Why aren't you with them?"

She sighed and rubbed at her eyes. "I really don't want to talk about this right now, Elijah. Can you just take me back to the boarding house?"

He looked at her another minute, trying to get something, _anything_, off of her. But he couldn't. She could be as guarded as him, although he considered himself to have no feelings at all. At least none relating to the human race.

He nodded his head and started the engine. It was a silent ride to the boarding house.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries **

**A/N: Short chapter, sorry guys! I'll update soon. Remember to review!**

Chapter 11

Loud ringing pierced her ears. Groggily, she looked over to her bedside table. On it lay her phone, the ring of it was like a blood-curling scream at the time of night. It was three a.m. She reached over slowly and grabbed it, hitting the answer button as she raised it to her ear.

"Hello?" her voice was slightly slurred.

"AJ? AJ I'm so glad you picked up. I really need to talk to you—"

She hit the end button quickly as she sat straight up in bed, suddenly more awake. Lucas. It was Lucas. She groaned and threw the phone across the room at the wall with anger as she nestled back into her bed. She waited for the sound of it breaking but it never came. She looked over her shoulder to see Elijah. She groaned again and put her hands to her head.

"Really? Twice in one day? I'm such a lucky girl," her voice was dripping with sarcasm. She just wanted to sleep.

"Does he usually call you at three a.m.?" Elijah asked casually as he leaned against her wall, looking down at the phone in his hands. He had the sudden urge to crush it when he saw Lucas's name in the contacts, but then he saw his own. It calmed him, oddly.

"He probably knew I wouldn't bother checking who was calling."

"Why does he keep trying to contact you?"

"Why do you sound like you're interrogating me?" AJ countered, annoyed. She hated when people asked too many questions about the past. She especially hated it when it involved this part of her past.

He laughed lightly. "Maybe I am."

AJ exhaled loudly, clearly exasperated. "Elijah—"

"It is a simple question, AJ." He found her eyes in the darkness and gave her a pointed look. He knew she could see him.

She hesitated. She knew he wanted answer and that she at least owed him that. He was protecting her friends, after all. "Because he loves me," she said without emotion. She stared up at the ceiling wishing she was anywhere but there in her room in that moment. She didn't want to talk about this.

"And you don't love him?"

"No," she answered still monotonously. It was three a.m. on a Sunday morning. She did _not_ want to have this conversation right now. She squeezed her eyes shut at all the thoughts that wanted to break in to her mind. She didn't want to think about Lucas. She wouldn't let herself. Bad things always came out of it.

Elijah watched her as she looked to be internally debating with herself. He had been simply checking up on her when he heard her phone ring. Before it broke against the wall, he sped through her open window to get it. He didn't want her to be without the device for even a day—she could easily reach him on it if she was in trouble, but she definitely couldn't if it was broken. Now as he thought about her answers, he grew very curious. He loved her. She didn't love him. He used to hit her. She broke things off with him. For how long could he have hit her for? She didn't appear to be the type of girl who would allow such a thing. She was the Warrior. It was in her nature to react violently against violence. Why did she not protect herself? Why did she fight her nature? He wanted to ask her these questions but he could see that she wasn't in the mood for it. Perhaps another day.

Her voice surprised him. "Elijah, can I ask you a question? And I know you don't promise an answer." She sat up in bed and crossed her legs. She was wearing a tank top and short shorts. Her hair was unusually straight and barely ruffled, almost like the way she wore it during the day.

"Yes," he answered after he looked her over.

"Why do you want Klaus dead? Don't you want the curse broken too?" Her voice was full of curiosity. She thought that Originals were all friends of some sort—they were _Originals_, the one and only few. Weren't they supposed to have some sort of bond? Some kind of understanding or something?

Elijah sighed. He figured she would ask this at some point. "No, as a matter of fact, I do not. And I must prevent Klaus from doing so, and I find the only way to do that is to kill him. He's persistent. He'd never take no for an answer. He'd never stop trying. The only way to get him to stop is to kill him." He tried saying it in the most detached way he could and he felt that he was successful. She looked to be processing the information, not studying his tone or his facial features.

"Well, why don't you want it broken?"

He thought for a moment as he tried to come up with something believable he could tell her. But he couldn't think of anything she wouldn't dig deeper into. "That is a question that I will not answer, AJ. I'm sorry." He sounded anything but, even though for some reason he _felt_ sorry. He shook it off.

AJ nodded her head. "You said you didn't promise an answer. I respect that."

He laughed an actual laugh this time. "You respect that of all things." He shook his head, smiling ever so slightly. She was such a strange girl.

She looked at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Elijah looked down at her innocently, "Oh nothing. Nothing at all." He laughed again, surprising himself. But the mere thought of her respecting him not promising to answer any question of hers rather than respect _him_ entirely was amusing to him. She was lucky he had his patience. In fact, she was lucky he wasn't Klaus. Klaus would have killed her the moment she spoke to him with her sarcasm.

AJ decided that whatever Elijah thought was funny wasn't worth knowing. It was probably mocking her, anyway. She lay back down in bed, getting comfortable.

"You can go away now," she suggested. She didn't want to get in another fight about who-wore-the-pants-in-this-Elijah-protects-AJ-relationship. She was exhausted and she wanted to sleep.

"Don't do anything stupid. I trust you can manage to wake up tomorrow without acting on any adrenaline addictions?"

She laughed this time. "First, I was planning on seeing just how far down it is from my window to the ground. Second, I was thinking of seeing what would happen if I put sparklers—"

There was a sound of movement. She looked over to where he had been. He was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

Chapter 12

AJ was tired the next day from her rude awakening in the early morning. But she still got up around ten and went downstairs for breakfast. She was hungry. She was also surprised to see Jenna there so early.

"Hey guys," AJ said as she opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. "What's up?"

"Oh, hey AJ," Jenna said as she smiled at the young girl, "I was just getting some surveying maps from Mrs. Flowers. How are you?"

"Good," AJ said as she made up a bowl of cereal. Mrs. Flowers excused herself to go and find the rest of the maps she had, "And yourself?"

"Oh, just fine," Jenna still smiled brightly.

AJ regarded the maps Jenna was holding. "What are they for?"

Jenna looked down at her feet, and then looked back up at AJ. "You remember Elijah, don't you?"

AJ held back a laugh. "The writer?" she pretended.

"Yes, well, he asked me to show him around some of the property around the forest. He needs it for his book," Jenna blushed slightly.

AJ raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Do you need any help?"

Jenna thought about that for a moment. She found Elijah to be extremely handsome and charming, and although she was mad at Rick she didn't want to mess around with another guy. AJ's presence would keep her from doing anything of the sort. "Yeah, actually, I think I do," Jenna nodded her head.

AJ smiled. Perfect. "Cool, what time do you need me to be ready?"

Jenna looked at the clock on the stove. "Well he wanted to meet up at eleven, so maybe by ten-forty five?"

"Sounds great, Jenna. I'll hurry up." AJ put her bowl in the sink and ran upstairs to shower and get dressed. She wondered if Elijah would be mad or not.

They arrived in Jenna's jeep at a clearing in part of the forest in between several properties that were apparently of interest to Elijah. AJ wondered what he needed out here and why he didn't clue her into it. Plus, she came out her a lot and knew much of the land—she could have just as easily helped him find whatever he was looking for. Maybe he had a thing for Jenna? AJ suddenly felt weird at that thought. She shrugged it off when she saw him waiting by a dark car of his own.

She got out of the car. His eyes were glued to hers.

"Elijah, you remember AJ, don't you?" Jenna asked somewhat flushed as she gestured towards AJ.

"Of course," Elijah said crisply but Jenna didn't notice, "How could I forget?"

Jenna smiled. AJ felt a little awkward. She should have figured he'd be mad.

"Well I'm going to go get a few maps out of the trunk, I'll be right back," Jenna said as she made her way to the back of the Jeep.

"What are you doing here?" Elijah demanded, his arms crossed over his chest.

AJ shrugged. "Jenna said that she was showing you around some properties and that she needed some help. Me, being _such_ a saint, volunteered." She gave him an innocent look.

"Right," he said shortly. He couldn't add any more since Jenna was on her way back, but he wanted to. He knew she was trying to figure out what he was looking for.

"Well I've got the maps so we can get going!" Jenna smiled at AJ and Elijah, oblivious to what was going on between them.

Elijah gestured for Jenna to lead as he and AJ followed. As Jenna would say a few things about each property they came upon, AJ would smile wickedly at Elijah, taunting him. He'd just glare at her and then return some conversation to Jenna. Yes, AJ was definitely trying to figure out why the properties interested Elijah so much and he was annoyed. But he was at least satisfied that he could keep an eye on her for a little while.

AJ grew bored after a while and simply followed behind Elijah, observing the scenery around her and tuning Jenna out. She started to regret coming out here since they didn't seem to find anything that interested Elijah. Jenna couldn't tell that, but AJ could. They would stop at one play and survey it, then move on to the next place. She could see that he was growing a bit restless. They were walking downhill towards Jenna's car again when AJ tuned back in.

"Rick? What are you doing out here?" Jenna asked completely puzzled. AJ looked ahead of her to see Alaric standing awkwardly near the end of the hill.

"Well, I heard that you were showing Elijah around and I figured since I was a history buff and all that I'd help," he said sheepishly. Elijah looked him up in down, trying to intimidate him. AJ sensed some bad blood rising, so she thought so ought to say something.

AJ smiled, "Hello Alaric."

He waved at her but was then confronted with a not so happy Jenna. "Rick, I really don't want to see you right now—"

"Jenna just let me explain—"

"No, I'm busy and I think you should leave—"

Alaric groaned, "Jenna would you please just listen!" She didn't interrupt him this time, she just looked at him. He took a breath, "Just—just let me take you out to dinner and we can talk, okay? I just want to talk."

Jenna looked torn. Then she shook her head, "AJ and I are showing Elijah around—"

AJ was the one to interrupt this time, "Jenna, it's okay. We're almost done and I know a lot of the land already. You can go out to dinner with Alaric and I'll finish up here with Elijah." AJ smiled, trying to persuade Jenna into saying yes. Not only would it grant Elijah and AJ freedom to yell at each other as they please, but it would also let AJ ask him what he's really looking for. Plus she didn't like seeing Alaric and Jenna not-together. AJ understood why they were fighting—because Alaric couldn't tell her about vampires. She sympathized with him.

Jenna sighed. "Well… Is that okay with you Elijah?"

Elijah smiled in his gentlemanly manner, "Yes of course. You should go. It seems he's rather desperate." Elijah gave Alaric a wicked look when he said that, but Jenna was still oblivious to it. AJ rolled her eyes.

"Well… All right. AJ, here are the keys to the Jeep. I'll have Alaric drop me back off at the boarding house later to pick it up," Jenna handed the keys to AJ then looked reluctantly at Alaric. He held out his hand for her but she just strode ahead of him, towards his car. He sighed and followed. AJ and Elijah were left alone.

AJ sighed dramatically. "Finally! So what is it you're really looking for Elijah?"

He gave her a death glare. "You should not have come, AJ. Although it allowed me to keep an eye on you for a little while, you still should not have come."

She pouted, "Why not? I'm only trying to help."

He scoffed, "Help? Is that all you're trying to do? I suggest you take Jenna's car and go home."

AJ stood up straighter and crossed her arms. "No," she said defiantly, "Come on Elijah, you can trust me. What are you looking for?"

He stared at her, hoping to create some kind of intimidation but he knew it wouldn't work. It never did. She was the one person who never feared him. She never batted one of her long dark eyelashes at anything he did to get her to _see_ that he was dangerous and she was to respect him. She was unaffected. He could see the sincerity in her hazel eyes. She truly just wanted to help him. Or she was a very good liar. He felt for some odd reason that she was perhaps both. He sighed—she never made anything easy for him.

He narrowed his eyes at her once more but she just blinked back at him, waiting. He ran a hand through his hair, something he only found himself doing when under extreme stress or pressure. "Witches," he said simply, shortly.

She looked up at him, confused. "Witches?"

"Yes. Before the town's 'Founders' came here, there were witches from Salem," his rich voice explained, however unhappily. He hated that he submitted into giving her an explanation but he felt that she could perhaps be of some use. "They came here looking for safe haven. But they were soon hunted down and gathered, burned at stake somewhere on these properties. I am looking for their burial grounds."

AJ raised her eyebrows. "Okaaay… But why?"

Elijah sighed again in exasperation. The girl's curiosity could in fact get her killed some day. That much was clear to him. "That is all I will tell you for now AJ. So you can help me or you can leave. Your choice."

She laughed and smiled at him. "I'll help you. I owe you that much, don't I?"

He nearly snorted. "From the way you've acted around me and the things you've said to me, I didn't think you realized you owed me anything." He turned on his heel and walked in the general direction of what he believed to be towards another clearing of some sort.

She followed him, laughing again. "On the contrary, Elijah. I owe you my life for protecting mine and my friends'. I understand that it's something you don't have to do. Which begs the question," she was in step beside him, "Why are you doing this? Other than to lure out Klaus. I mean, why let me live my life 'normally'?" she made air quotes, "Why not just kidnap me and use that to lure him out?" It was something she thought of on occasion. Wouldn't that make it easier for him? There would definitely be much less for him to worry about. Not that he was truly concerned for anyone's safety, but still.

He glanced over at her. "You are the Warrior, AJ. It means something."

She groaned. She was tired of his cryptic responses and she was tired of the word 'Warrior'. She still didn't have much of an understanding of it. "Why am I so important Elijah? What exactly is it that I'm meant to do?"

They were coming upon a meadow, its green grass knee high as it swayed in the slight wind. Most of the day had passed as they searched property to property, unsuccessful, and so the sky was darkening slowly. Elijah stopped at her question and turned to face her. There were shadows over the eyes that begged for answers.

"You are good, AJ. You're on Elena's side, not Klaus's. That, alone, is a good thing. It means we have a much better chance of killing him. But I cannot tell you exactly what you're meant to do—even I don't know it. You're meant to protect Elena when others can't, I'm sure. But there are others who can, so you need not worry about that. Right now, at this moment, you're meant to just be who you are. Nothing else. Just be who you are and remain on Elena's side and all will end well," Elijah's voice was confident. He knew she would remain good. He knew she would protect Elena, even with her life. But he could see that she still had so many questions—questions that he couldn't truly answer. This was the first time he himself was on the Warriors side—the good side. He never knew much about what they were before, he'd only hear mutterings from Klaus every now and then about how bothersome they were. He wished he could give her answers—he didn't understand why, but he wished he could. But he couldn't. He was as clueless as she was. Well, less in some ways, but she couldn't know that. Not yet, anyway. Maybe not ever.

She was looking down at her feet, deep in thought. Her long dark hair was flowing freely in the wind, reminding her suddenly of the strange dream she had nights ago. The one where she was wearing the beautiful red gown, waiting for someone in the dark of the night. Who had she been waiting for? She looked up and around, seeing the forest around her alive with the wind and the calls of birds and the like. The sun was setting slowly. She had a weird feeling in her stomach.

"Elijah can we go? Something's not right," she whispered without even realizing she was doing so. She was glancing around. She felt like someone was watching them. Or something.

"What's wrong?" Elijah asked, looking at her frantic features. He'd never seen her scared before but she was looking very close to it in that moment.

"I just—I don't know. Can we go back to the cars? Please?" She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. She didn't want to be there right now, she had to get away. She had to.

"Yes," he nodded as he sensed her desperation. He did know that Warriors were very intuitive. If she felt that something was wrong, then something probably was wrong. He gestured in the direction of the cars as he too looked about the landscape around them. He could feel something too.

She walked quickly and briskly, the cold of the shadowed forest invading her body. She began to shake.

"AJ are you all right?" Elijah asked upon noticing her trembling hands. She was only wearing a light jacket. The cold didn't affect him the way it did humans but he could tell it was bothering her tremendously.

"Yes," she answered shortly. She just wanted to get to the safety of Jenna's car. That was all she needed. She felt for the keys in her pocket, the objects themselves making her relax a little more. Everything was fine.

Suddenly a branch broke to their left and a flock of birds flew up into the sky, cooing loudly at the disturbance. AJ froze standing absolutely still. Elijah slowed to stand in front of her defensively, trying to listen closely to identify what was out there. Another branch snapped. He could hear slow breathing. It was a human—or maybe a werewolf, but it wasn't a full moon so they'd be in human form. He looked up, searching for the source. Suddenly a flashlight shone in his eyes, making him look away.

"Sherriff Forbes?" AJ asked, relieved.

"AJ? Elijah? What are you two doing out here…?" the Sherriff's question trailed off as she took in the pair—the way Elijah was standing defensively in front of AJ. "Is something wrong?"

Elijah laughed richly, standing up straight. He remembered meeting the Sheriff before and he knew that she knew about vampires, she just didn't know about him. "No, everything is fine Sheriff. We were just heading back to our cars. AJ, here, was just showing me around some property lines for my research."

Sheriff Forbes regarded them hesitantly. Their demeanor told her something was off, but she'd known AJ for years. Surely the girl would confide in her if she was in some kind of trouble. "Okay…"

"What are you doing out here?" AJ asked suddenly, curious. She dreaded the answer.

The Sheriff sighed. "You're better off not knowing, AJ."

AJ shook her head. "I need to know."

Sheriff Forbes looked off to the side for a moment, considering just dismissing the girl. She had so much to worry about already; she didn't want to add to the stress. But AJ was persistent and strong. She could handle it. Caroline often told her that. "A hiker found a body a couple of hours ago, south of here. I heard voices so I came over here to check it out."

"A body?" AJ asked, her voice strong but her head spinning.

The Sheriff sighed. "Yes. That's all I can say for now, AJ. But don't you worry about it, okay? We're handling it. Now you two should get back to your cars and go home. It's getting late."

AJ nodded, her head still reeling. She didn't even realize that the Sheriff already left. She barely noticed that she stumbled and someone caught her. All she could thing about was another body. Another one. So much death… Why did there have to be so much death? Why here?

"AJ?" Elijah's concerned voice brought her back to the present. She was in _his_ arms as he kneeled to the ground, holding her above it. His body heat was warming her up. She jumped to her feet quickly, regaining her composure. She hated when she had those rare moments when she just tuned everything out. She hated the cataplexy.

"I'm fine Elijah," she nodded, not making eye contact with him. She couldn't. "I just want to go home."

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	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

**A/N: Sorry this one's short. I'll be updating more. Thanks for the reviews!(-:**

Chapter 13

Elijah held himself with ease against the window on the outside of AJ's room. He'd been watching her for several minutes, perhaps even a half hour, as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Something was bothering her. He thought maybe it was the same thing that caused her to faint earlier. It'd been after Sheriff Forbes announced the finding of another body. Was that why she was so bothered right now? Was that why she was crying out in her sleep? He wasn't sure. He never had a nightmare before, not even a dream. What influenced them?

He sighed as he watched her turn in bed again. She mumbled something about 'too much blood.' Why did he even care? Why was he watching her, why was he worried? That question in itself worried him. He shouldn't be worried for her. He shouldn't care. He shouldn't be here at one in the morning checking in on her when he, himself, could be sleeping quite soundly. He was puzzled by his actions. She was merely the Warrior. A human. She was insignificant, and yet significant at the same time. But only in the matter that she stays on Elena's side and nonplussed by any of Klaus's persuasions that were sure to come.

"Elena," she sobbed in her sleep, speaking almost as if she were awake, "Elena I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Elena."

His eyebrows furrowed together. Sorry for what? He may have understood certain aspects of this girl, but he wasn't sure if he would ever understand her in full. She was so complex.

He heard something move behind him. He whipped around only to see Stephen Salvatore, the boyfriend of the doppelganger on the ground below him. He let go of the window frame and himself drop so they'd be level. His landed was completely silent.

They regarded each other—Elijah with grim eyes and mouth and Stephen with trepidation. Stephen still wasn't sure whether to trust AJ's instincts when it came to trusting Elijah.

"Elijah," Stephen nodded his head at the Original.

"Stephen. To what do I owe this visit?" He asked in his rich voice, clasping his hands together in front of him as he began to circle the vampire. He briefly thought back to the satisfaction he had gotten out of killing Trevor not so very long ago. He didn't intend to kill Stephen. At least not when he was so useful—he kept an eye on the doppelganger. As soon as his usefulness expired, maybe the vampire would as well. Elijah hadn't made up his mind yet.

"I was just checking on AJ. Elena's been worried," Stephen said carefully. He kept Elijah in his peripherals while the Original circled him. He wouldn't let his guard down.

"There's no need for you to check on her. I have that covered, as you can see."

"Yes, what are you doing out here at one in the morning?" Stephen dared to inquire, his voice only slightly suggesting something that didn't involve AJ's safety in the least.

Elijah laughed darkly. "Watch the way you behave around me, Salvatore. AJ may think she can speak as freely as she likes to me, but I will not flinch to rip your heart out if you talk out of place. If you're inquiring I'm doing anything other than making sure she's secured, you are painfully wrong."

Both of the vampires could hear AJ cry out in her sleep again.

Stephen raised a curious eyebrow. "What's wrong with her?"

Elijah stopped circling the vampire once he was back in the place he'd started. He looked up to the window for a moment, thinking. He looked back at the young vampire. He was young enough to remember when he was human; perhaps he could remember what it was like to have a nightmare. "I am not sure. She seems to be having bad dreams."

Stephen was surprised Elijah filled him in at all. "I see," he stated.

"Do you know why they affect her so much? She acts as if someone is torturing her. I know it's not one of Klaus's tricks—he would be very subtle. I don't know what's wrong with her." Elijah hated to tell the young vampire that he couldn't understand AJ's problem, but he needed someone to tell him what was going on. He knew that Stephen had humanity in him, unlike other vampires. He thought maybe he could be useful.

"AJ has narcolepsy. It's a sleeping disorder," Stephen began to explain, although he was sure the Original knew this information. He'd heard AJ complain about her medical files one day. "A symptom of it is vivid dreams or nightmares. The way she dreams is different than for most humans. It's as if she's living it. So if she's having a nightmare, she feels like she's actually there."

Elijah 'hmmed.' It explained why she cried out as if in physical pain. But what would she be dreaming about? Elijah turned suddenly, facing Stephen with demand. A thought occurred to him that should have come up much earlier in the conversation. This worried him as well. "Who is with the doppelganger?" Elijah demanded. The vampire would be stupid to leave the girl alone, especially since they were romantically involved, and Elijah didn't want to have to watch over her too. He found her to be rather annoying. Plus he didn't need to look after two suicidal teenage girls. That's where he drew the line.

Stephens eyes cast down to the grown. "Damon's with her." Stephen said almost spitefully. He readjusted his position, standing up straighter as he looked back to the Original, "She's safe."

Elijah nodded, uncaring to what was bothering the vampire. "Good."

Stephen watched the Original closely. "If AJ's not in any true danger from Klaus, why do you check in on her so much?" It was something he'd been curious about for quite some time. AJ wasn't really one to share much, so she never told him.

"Once Klaus learns of the doppelganger, he will first be interested in the Warrior. He'll need her on his side if wants to ensure succeeding in breaking the curse."

"And if she's not on his side?" Stephen feared the answer.

"I don't know. Klaus is… unpredictable," Elijah was deep in thought about this. What if Klaus somehow got to AJ but heard her rejection? Would he kill her? Would he continue to try to persuade her? Elijah did not know.

"Elijah," AJ whispered as she whimpered in her sleep, "Elijah, please save me. Please."

Elijah's eyebrows shot up. She would call to him to save her? He was surprised. He knew that she trusted him, for some odd reason. But he didn't think it was that much trust. Something inside him in that moment felt different. He wasn't sure how to interpret it. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to. He chose to ignore it for the time being. It was late and he needed to rest.

After Elijah left without another word, Stephen still stood where he had before. He'd heard what AJ said. In her sleep or not, it was very strange to him. She had that much faith in Elijah? How much have they spoken? What exactly was going on between them? He only knew that Elena would not be happy. And Damon would be absolutely furious. He sighed. Things only ever seemed to get worse.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Sorry this one is short, too! **

Chapter 14

_AJ was in the forest again, the mist surrounding her ominously. She knew something wasn't right. She looked down at what she was wearing—black skinny jeans, black boots, and a grey hoodie. Nothing out of the ordinary about that. But something didn't feel right. She looked around, regarding the tall black trees around her as one would regard a towering monster, preparing to strike. She felt small amongst them—insignificant. _

_But she wasn't insignificant. She was the Warrior! And she was supposed to do something…_

_A scream pierced the cool, night air. And then it repeated, over and over again. She recognized it somehow… It was… She couldn't think straight it was so loud! The screaming made the forest around AJ eerily quiet._

"_AJ!" the voice now screamed, calling out her name in repetition. It was Elena! What was wrong with Elena? A feeling of dread washed over AJ—something bad was happening._

_She ran down a cleared path in the direction of Elena's screaming, her boots crunching leaves and breaking twigs along the way. She was panting heavily but she wasn't breaking a sweat—it was much too cold out for that. _

"_AJ!" Elena screamed again, "AJ please, please help me!" Her voice sounded so sad—so desperate. _

_AJ was frantic. She continued to run in the direction of Elena's voice until she finally came across a huge clearing. Elena was there on the ground, screaming still. AJ ran over to her but some kind of force held her back from reaching her friend. _

"_Elena!" AJ yelled, trying to fight whatever force was there, "Elena, I'm right here!" _

_Elena looked up at AJ, tears streaming down her face like rivers. Her eyes were bloodshot—she looked horrible. "AJ, oh AJ it's so good to see you. Please, please help me!"_

"_What's wrong—what can I do?" AJ asked. The force wouldn't let her through; it only seemed to get stronger as it pushed her farther away from her friend. Suddenly out of the darkness, a cloaked figure emerged. AJ felt like she knew whatever it was—it was familiar. How could that be so?_

_It was approaching Elena quickly. AJ pounded harder against what seemed like nothing but something at the same time. Whatever it was, it kept her from getting to Elena. She _needed_ to get to Elena—she had to help her!_

"_Oh my god!" Elena shrieked as she saw the figure coming towards her, "AJ! AJ! Help me! He's here AJ! He's here!" Elena was struggling on the ground, unable to get up. She started crawling in AJ's direction; the sight was sickening. She screamed and sobbed the whole way._

_AJ began crying—there was nothing she could do for Elena! Something was holding her back and she didn't know what it was! Suddenly, AJ's tears stopped. This was meant to happen. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? Yes. Yes it was. _

"_AJ!" Elena screamed again, bringing her back. _

_No this wasn't what she wanted! It wasn't! She had to save her friend! She wouldn't let her darker side win—she wouldn't! She had to help Elena!_

_But it was too late. Much too late. The figure pounced on Elena, making a sickening sound as it tore out her throat. AJ sobbed, falling to her knees as she watched. There was so much blood. It was seeping into the grass, making it even darker in the night. "Elena!" she screamed. She felt like she was falling apart, like her world was ending. There was so much pain—not physical but emotional. Her best friend was dead!_

_Through her hysteria, she saw the figure begin to approach her. _

"_No!" she yelled, struggling to get to her feet. "No! You can't have me!"_

_She backed up far until her back touched a tree, holding her in place. The figure was still advancing. She was panicking—she felt like she couldn't breathe. _

_Then she remembered. "Elijah!" she screamed, using as much energy she had left to project the sound, "Elijah! Please! Please save me!" She sobbed as she fell to the ground. She didn't know what else to do. She needed Elijah._

_The figure was only twenty feet away from her now. It was taking off its hood—_

"AJ? AJ wake up!"

AJ gasped, taking in a breath of air as she shot upright. She was panting heavily but she felt cold—so very cold. Her hands were trembling and she felt dizzy. She looked to see what woke her up—Damon.

"Damon?" she almost squeaked, "What are you doing here?"

He looked at her with concern. Her face was oddly pale and she looked panicked. "AJ it's noon. Elena called me and said you weren't at school and asked me to check up on you. How are you still sleeping? You were having a nightmare, weren't you?" He saw her thrash around in her sleep and cry out. He'd call bullshit if she denied it.

She held a hand to her rapidly beating heart, feeling it slow slightly. He could hear it, she knew that. She cast her eyes down and nodded her head. That was the second weirdest dream she'd had in two weeks. She didn't get it. Sure, narcolepsy meant vivid dreams, but they weren't usually like that. Normally they were silly or just plain weird. This had been frightening and all _too_ real.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Damon offered but he knew the answer he'd get. She shook her head.

"I've really got to get to school," AJ said, her words rushed. She quickly got out of bed and made it up before going to her closet and getting out some clothes. Damon just watched her, a worried expression still on his face. She got ready in the bathroom and was out again within five minutes.

"Do you mind giving me a ride?" She asked, not looking at him.

"No problem," he said, studying her. "AJ, what's wrong? You look totally spooked."

She shook her head vigorously. "It's nothing, just a vivid dream, that's all. Not a big deal."

Damon sighed. "That's what you tell everyone so they'll believe you and not worry about it. I know, AJ, I do the same thing. So seriously, what's wrong?" He crossed his arms and stood in front of her.

She sighed now, exasperated. "Damon, really! It was nothing! Just a bad dream! Now can we please go to the school?"

He looked at her sternly. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

She groaned and held a hand to her head. She _so _didn't need this right now. She already missed at least four classes; she didn't want to miss any more. She looked at him pleadingly but he wouldn't let up. She sighed. "I'm just worried. It's not a big deal, Damon. Everyone is."

"You aren't like everyone else."

She snorted, "Thanks."

He shook his head, "You know what I mean, AJ. You don't get worried—in fact you're usually completely the opposite. So what are you worrying about? The sacrifice?"

She thought about it. She couldn't very well tell him that she was worried about _herself_. The good and bad sides of her, more specifically. No, she definitely couldn't tell him that. She couldn't tell anyone—and that made her feel even worse. Shouldn't she at least let someone in on it, just in case she went all dark-side? It'd probably be a good idea. But she didn't want another babysitter. Elijah was more than enough and she knew she couldn't tell _him_ either. Then he'd probably have her on lock-down, or worse. In the end, she thought that she could only try and control herself. She didn't want to worry anyone else or cause any more trouble than there already was. She was on her own with this, and she accepted that.

"Yes," she said quietly, answering Damon's question at last. She wasn't exactly lying either. She was worried about the sacrifice. She was afraid of what lay ahead because she knew that she might have some control over things, but she definitely didn't have a lot. She couldn't know how things would end—what choices she'd made. That thought terrified her. She vowed, in that moment, to try her hardest to stay good. She had to.

Damon looked at her with understanding, "There's nothing to worry about AJ. At least not yet, okay? Everything's going to be fine." She wished the words were true. She wanted to believe them. But something told her not to—not completely, at least.

Damon finally drove her to school. She was late to her fifth class, but she was relieved she actually got to it. But for the rest of the day, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Not at all.

**Tell me what ya think!(:**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

Chapter 15

"You haven't answered any of my calls," Elijah stated, his arms crossed as he leaned against her wall. It was the next day and she had just gotten back from school. She was so sick of school. What was the point of it other than locking up teenagers for the day? Yes, she was smart. Yes, she enjoyed learned. But school felt like imprisonment. Maybe it was the food.

She looked at Elijah once, then fell back onto her bed, sighing. She was so _tired_. She hadn't slept at all the previous night.

"The other night you—"

"Had a bad dream," she finished his sentence monotonously. She didn't feel like discussing this again. "That's all it was Elijah. A bad dream."

"Is that so? I seem to recall hearing you say several things in your sleep," Elijah smirked at her.

She sat up, her face heating up slightly. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. If it was just a bad dream, I doubt it was that important," Elijah shrugged as he looked out her window, hiding his devious smile from her.

She knew he was trying to draw her in to telling him, but she was so curious about what he heard. She sighed deeply and fell back to the bed again. Putting a hand to her forehead she said, "Fine. I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone else."

He regarded the way her hair was cascaded around her, the way her bangs fell perfectly under her eyebrows. He saw the sad, tired look in her eyes. Such a young girl held so much worry within. He still wondered what made her this way, but that would have to wait. He nodded to her, "Of course."

She told him all about it—every little detail. She figured if she was going to tell somebody, they might as well help her figure out what it meant. She even told him the last part—the part when she needed him. She didn't mention the first dream, though. She thought that was a little more private. It definitely _felt_ private.

Elijah was silent the whole time, as well as the time after she finished telling him. He was thinking. Klaus wasn't behind her dreams—he wasn't in town yet. Elijah was sure of it. Perhaps they were dreams of stress? Of fear? She could fear that that's what will happen to Elena and herself. He looked at her once more—she was staring at the ceiling but her eyes weren't seeing that—they were seeing something else entirely. He wanted to see what she could see. Was she replaying the dream? Was she daydreaming? What the hell did he care either way? Every time he was with her, now, his thoughts would come to this. He cared. But why? And in what way? It was aggravating, not understanding his emotions anymore. He internally scoffed at the thought of his _emotions_. Before he came to Mystic Falls, before he met this girl, the word would have never come up. Sure, he felt anger and things like that, but he always knew what to call them. He had no name for what was building up inside of him, day to day.

And he had no explanation for why he would check up on her constantly. Sure, Klaus posed an imminent threat, but not at the moment—possibly not even this week. It didn't explain why every time he was over at Jonas's house, reviewing plans and looking over certain spells and such, his thoughts would always fall back to her. To AJ. He'd wonder what she was doing, if she was safe. He'd wonder _why_ he wondered that. He'd come up blank every time. And now she actually confided in him about her nightmare—she told him that she felt she needed _him_. When she said those words, the feeling inside him built even more. It became more confusing like the puzzle _she_ was. As he watched her, still in whatever land her mind decided to visit, he felt the odd urge to reach out and touch her. To feel what her skin felt like. It _looked_ soft. He was sure it was. He was sure he was going crazy. He growled, angry at himself. What the hell was going on with him? He needed to focus!

AJ looked over at Elijah, his growling bringing her out of her memory. "Elijah?" she asked quietly, seeing how angry he looked. "What's wrong?"

Her concerned face stifled all anger that he felt within seconds. His face grew impassive—emotionless and indifferent. He couldn't let her see how strangely confused he was. And part of him didn't want to worry her either. He told that part to go to hell.

"Nothing is wrong. I was just thinking," he stated simply.

She raised her eyebrows. "About what?"

He was silent. He focused back on her dream. Perhaps the cloaked figure symbolized Klaus—she didn't know what he looked like. Her mind could have made up that creature to substitute. He suggested this to her.

She turned and looked back at the ceiling again, thinking about what he said. He was probably right. It made a lot of sense to her—if she didn't know what he looked like, what else would her mind use to represent him other than something that looked like Death? Yes, it made a lot of sense.

She sighed. "I'm sorry I'm wasting your time with my stupid nightmares. I'm sure you have better things to do."

He regarded her. "Don't be sorry." He did have to speak with Jonas. Perhaps the man could cast a spell preventing her from having nightmares? He'd talk to him about it.

She flipped over on her stomach, crossing her arms in front of her and resting her head on them. She studied Elijah. He wasn't what everyone thought him to be—a heartless monster, having only his own agenda. No. He seemed to be quite the opposite. Of course she would never tell him that—it would probably end with some kind of retaliation to 'prove' she was wrong. But she knew she was right. He wasn't all bad.

"Why did you fight your instincts?" Elijah asked suddenly. It was the question that'd been bothering him for quite some time.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"When your ex was hitting you. Your natural instinct is to exact violence when violence is acted on you. You must have fought that instinct when he hit you. Why?"

"Oh," she sighed. This again. She hated talking about her past.

He scrutinized her solemn face. "You don't wish to talk about it," he stated.

She laughed humorlessly. "That's an understatement." She was quiet; she knew he wanted an answer and she knew he wouldn't force it out of her. It was her choice to tell him. She didn't know why, but for some reason she wanted to.

"We were young—I had been maybe fifteen and he was two years older. We were serious," she laughed humorlessly again, shaking her head. Then she grew solemn. "We had been dating for a while—about a year—when suddenly Lucas's father died. It was a heart attack. His father had been really all he had left. A week after the funeral was when he first hit me. You're right about the natural instinct—I wanted to hit him back. I wanted to _badly_. But I didn't. I knew he was upset about his father, as he should have been, and I felt so sorry for him. I thought it was a mistake—he apologized for it. But then he did it again a couple days later. Then again. And I started to see it wasn't going to stop. He was that mad, that upset. I knew he needed someone to be there for him, but I also knew he needed someone to take his frustrations out on. I wasn't going to let that be me any longer. That was also when I felt that I needed to leave my town—to come _here_ to Mystic Falls. I suppose that was when I knew I had to find Elena, I just didn't truly _know_ it, you know?" she asked, then laughed at the absurdity of what she said. "But that's why. And to this day, he still wants to get in touch with me. I don't even really know why. I don't want to know why." She shrugged, not making eye contact with Elijah.

He suppressed the extreme anger he felt. He still wanted the boy to die. He may not pose any sort of imminent threat to her, but Elijah wanted him to die. He wanted to know what it felt like to rip the boys beating heart out of his chest. But he couldn't. She had begged him not to, she had even _cried._ She'd be very upset with him if he killed Lucas. So he wouldn't. Not yet, anyway.

"You didn't have to tell me," Elijah said quietly. He wanted to know why she did.

"I know," she smiled slightly at him, "I wanted to."

He stared at her. He was beginning to think he might have some kind of understanding of his emotions. He was worried about this. He was a lot of things.

**How am I doin'?(:**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Only AJ and her status(:**

Chapter 16

AJ walked into the Grille the following day. She hadn't really expected to find any of her friends here, she just wanted to sit down and think, but not somewhere where she was alone. The idea bothered her for some reason. She spotted Damon and his 'girlfriend' Andy sitting in a booth alone, so she decided to go over. Screw being alone—she wanted company.

"Hey guys, what's up?" AJ asked as she slid in the seat opposite of them. They looked only a little surprised to see her.

"Hey hun! How are you?" Andy asked with true enthusiasm as she smiled at AJ.

AJ smiled back, though not as genuinely. Something was off. "I'm fine, how are you?"

Andy beamed, "I'm great actually! I'm really excited for tonight." Andy completely missed Damon's glares and pointed looks to tell her to shut up, but AJ didn't.

"Oh?" she said looking between the couple, suspicious. "And what's going on tonight?"

"Nothing special," Damon said, his words telling AJ _and_ Andy to drop it. But Andy still didn't seem to get the hint.

"Oh don't be silly Damon! This is AJ we're talking to!" She looked at Damon, chastising. She turned back to AJ, the grin still on her face. "We're having a dinner party!"

AJ's eyebrows shot up slightly. She was surprised to hear that—the thought of Damon hosting a _dinner party_ made her want to laugh out loud. She refrained, though, since he was shooting daggers at Andy. Clearly the woman wasn't supposed to be sharing that.

"Who's invited?" AJ inquired, curious to see if she was on the guest list. She figured she wasn't. She knew Andy loved to talk, so she'd get an answer out of her, Damon or no Damon.

"Oh well, Jenna, Rick, Elijah—"

"Elijah?" AJ asked, now alarmed. Oh no, she thought, don't be one of Damon's stupid plans. "Why is Elijah invited?"

"Well of course so we can—"

"Get to know him better," Damon jumped in, nearly clenching his teeth. Something was _really_ off to AJ. " I don't like the idea of him being around you all the time if we don't really know him very well." Right.

"Am I invited?"

"Sorry kid, adults only," Damon winked at her now. He was trying to be reassuring that it was just a simple dinner party, that there was no hidden agenda of any kind but he could see that she was starting to grasp on to that idea. He couldn't have that.

AJ shrugged. Although she was suspicious, she didn't think Damon was stupid. He'd probably just try and ask Elijah what his plans are or something like that. "I personally think dinner parties are kind of boring."

Damon smiled tightly, "Yes, well. You aren't the only one." Andy elbowed him playfully.

AJ thought for a moment about what she could do tonight. Stephen and Elena left for a 'romantic weekend', Bonnie and Jeremy were spending more and more time together (AJ was suspicious), Tyler seemed to have left town, and Caroline was obsessing over Matt. She sighed. She felt a little out of the 'loop'. Maybe she'd do something fun. Cliff diving did still have its appeal…

Damon recognized the look on her face. "Don't do anything stupid tonight, AJ," he warned. He didn't like it as much as anyone else when she didn't think before she did things. She had one time called him from the hospital after one of her stunts. He didn't want that to happen tonight of all nights.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That goes for you, too. I don't like the idea of you being around Elijah. Don't make him mad, Damon,"

"Ooh," he mocked, "Someone sounds possessive. Don't want to share your Original?"

"Shut up," AJ spat back at him. She didn't want to hear it—Caroline and Bonnie already implied the same thing.

"I'm just sayin'," he smiled deviously, "You two seem to have gotten pretty close—oh wait. How would I know? He never speaks to anyone but you and you don't tell anyone what you talk about!"

"Do you really want to do this here?" AJ asked, angry. Poor Andy was just looking back and forth between them, a somewhat scared expression on her face.

"Would anywhere else be better? You're always so evasive about it, no matter where we are," Damon said with venom in his voice.

AJ scoffed, "That's because what Elijah and I talk about it no one else's business!"

Damon looked at her seriously now. "Is that all you're doing with him? _Talking?_ Because you're sounding extremely defensive right now."

AJ groaned. Of course. "Damon, get your mind out of the gutter. That's just wrong!"

"Is it? Tell me AJ, why do you think he checks up on you so _often?_ Why not just call you? That would be easier. It'd certainly be more convenient," Damon pointed out.

"Probably because Klaus could make me say anything if he showed up. He'd threaten my family or someone else, and I'd be coerced into saying anything to make Elijah think all's well. He checks up on me in person because he can see that I'm really okay," AJ defended Elijah's actions. They did sometimes seem strange, even to her, but it wasn't as if she minded. She found his company to be enjoyable and often amusing.

Damon just shook his head. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Elijah being around AJ after tonight.

X x x x x x x x x x x X

"AJ," Elijah nodded at her as she entered her room later that day. He was sitting in her comfortable chair by the large window, opposite the door.

"Elijah?" she asked, surprised. She looked out her window at the sky. It was dusk. "Don't you have a dinner party you're supposed to be attending?

He raised his eyebrows and smirked, "Are you checking up on me, now?"

She laughed genuinely, "No, I ran into Damon and Andy at the Grille. So what are you doing here?"

"Just making sure all is well before I leave for it," he said, keeping any emotion out of his voice and off his face. He knew why he was truly there.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, everything's fine excluding my social life. But oh well," she shrugged as she smiled slightly.

His eyebrows furrowed together. "What's wrong with your social life?"

AJ laughed again, except with a darker humor in it, "Oh nothing except for the fact that all my friends are either vanishing and leaving for the weekend or obsessing about guys. No one thought to let me in on anything," she winked at him, letting him know she really didn't care. She could have some her-time that night.

"Where are Bonnie and Jeremy?" Elijah inquired. He didn't really want her to be alone the whole time he was gone—who knew what could happen.

AJ sat on her bed, cross legged. "Probably playing another round of tonsil hockey if my intuition is correct," she said seriously.

Elijah looked perturbed at her choice of words.

"It was supposed to be a joke," AJ clarified. Then she thought better of it. "Kind of." She laughed to herself. There was no doubt in her that something was going on with Jeremy and Bonnie. Elena may have missed the looks they gave each other in between classes, but AJ didn't.

"Is there anyone else you could stay with for a while tonight?" Elijah asked. Although he was sure nothing would happen to her in the few short hours he'd be at the Salvatore home, he wanted to be certain.

She shrugged, "It seems as though tonight is a me-night. I'll probably just stay here, paint my nails, and stuff like that." She lied; she had other plans. He wouldn't like them.

He scrutinized her face, searching for something to give her away. He had a feeling she wasn't being completely honest. "Is that all you will do?" He sounded as if he knew she were lying.

She smiled at him, "Yes."

He shook his head. "What exactly are you planning to do tonight, AJ?" She couldn't fool him.

She sighed. She didn't feel like coming up with more and more lies. Not if he could so easily see right through them. "I was thinking of maybe taking out the car, or borrowing a motorcycle, or something like that. I'm sure there are some clubs or something open in the next town over," she said without any defeat in her voice; she just stated what she had truly planned to do.

"Clubs?" He laughed, "No clubs. No cars. No motorcycles. You are going to stay right here. Is that understood?" He wouldn't even _chance_ her getting into any sort of trouble. He wondered briefly where his old chains were and how mad she would be if he chained her to her desk. Probably furious.

She stared at him, contemplating fighting for having a fun night out or just agreeing with him. She had a bad feeling about the night, anyway. And it wouldn't kill her to pamper herself some. She nodded her head. "Fine, but I'm only agreeing because I can see unpleasant ideas forming in your eyes about how to keep me here. It's disturbing."

He laughed, amused. But then he grew serious. "I wouldn't do anything to harm you, AJ."

She looked back at him, equally as serious. "I know."

It was quiet another moment as they looked at each other before Elijah stood up.

"I must be going. Wouldn't want to keep them waiting," Elijah said and AJ could have sworn she detected a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

He was walking towards the door. "Wait," AJ said. He stopped and looked at her. "Be careful."

He nodded his head and left. He could have questioned her, demanded to know if she knew any of the plans Damon was sure to have, but he didn't. For some odd reason, he knew she didn't have anything to do with it. He trusted her.

**How many of you are Elijah fans, and how many are Klaus fans? Just curious…(:**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 17

It wasn't too late when she woke—just around midnight. And it hadn't been for all the other reasons she woke up in the night, panting and scared. No, this was completely different. Something felt wrong. Something felt very wrong deep down inside her.

She had done as Elijah asked of her and stayed at home that night. She ordered pizza, painted her nails, drew and played the guitar a little bit and took a nice, hot bath. It'd been around ten-thirty when she decided going to bed early for once would probably do her some good. But now as she lay awake, she thought it was completely the opposite. Something's happened. So she did the first thing she thought to do when she got a really bad feeling: she called Elijah. As she waited for him to answer, alarms started going off in her head. His voicemail answered. Not him.

So she did the second thing she thought to do when she got a_ really_ bad feeling: she called Elena. She knew she'd probably be waking her up, but she didn't care. Not when something was so obviously wrong. Even her heart was in on the off feeling, which scared her even more. AJ stood up as the phone rang, pacing around her spacious bedroom. It was all she could do to not start freaking out.

"AJ?" Elena answered her phone sounding suspiciously… not right. She was definitely wide awake, too. "What's up?"

"Elena, what's going on?" AJ asked in a worried voice. Her mind kept saying _something's wrong, something's wrong._

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, trying to sound sincerely surprised. Evasive. That was what AJ's mind was telling her now, and it worried her even more. Elena was being evasive. That wasn't right—Damon could be and AJ herself could be, but Elena never was!

"Elena. I have a very, very bad feeling that something's happened. Tell me," AJ demanded through clenched teeth. For some reason tears began forming in her eyes—angry and scared tears. She didn't understand why. She clenched her free hand into a fist, squeezing hard and painfully, to quell the tears.

Elena sighed. "You should meet us at Stephens and Damon's house."

AJ nodded but then remembered Elena couldn't see her. "I'll be right there."

She didn't know why she felt so angry, so scared. And sad—she felt sad too. Something wasn't right! She quickly dressed and grabbed the keys to her car before she was on her way to Stephen and Damon's house. While she drove, she wiped away her ridiculous tears—at least that's what she thought of them. She rarely cried and she had no true reason to now—so why was she? She was so confused. Her head was reeling with thousands of fleeting thoughts and possibilities. Was someone hurt? Was Klaus here? Elijah… Elijah didn't answer his phone. She never called him before, but she figured he'd answer it right away, especially if _she_ was calling. But he didn't… And that meant something. It had to mean something, didn't it? The two halves of her that she labeled 'good' and 'bad' were joining forces at the moment, no longer quarrelling for their presences. That couldn't be good either. They never did that. Never.

She finally saw the Salvatore house and raced up the driveway, screeching to a halt in the front. She got out of her car and went to the door, entering without bothering to knock. Her heart was pounding rapidly. There was even adrenaline, but she couldn't find it in her to enjoy it now. It wasn't the kind of adrenaline she liked.

Elena was pacing in front of the fireplace in the living room as Stephen and Damon sat in different chairs, their heads down.

"AJ!" Elena said as she saw her friend. Elena went over to hug the girl, but AJ ducked away.

"Tell me what's happened," she demanded, her voice uncontrollably shaky.

Elena looked nervous. She looked over to both Stephen and Damon who wore similar expressions, except Damon's also held one of content.

"You might want to sit down AJ—"

"No! Tell me what's happened, dammit!" AJ yelled, interrupting Stephens attempt to calm her down. She just wanted to know what was going on. She _needed_ to know what had happened.

"Elijah's dead," Damon said finally, looking at AJ with indifference.

Her eyes went wide, an expression none of them had seen on her face before. "What?" Dead? Elijah's dead? "How is that possible?"

Elena sighed sadly. "There's special ash and a dagger that'll kill an Original as long as it stays—"

Damon zoomed up to where Elena was standing, preventing her from saying anymore. He glared at her. But AJ understood. She wasn't stupid. Damon didn't want her to know that as long as the dagger stayed in his body—probably his heart—he'd remain dead. She felt relief flood over her but she didn't let them see it. She made it look like she was confused.

"As long as it stays what, Elena?" AJ asked, her voice coming out as puzzled and sad and very believable. She looked between Damon and Elena, her eyebrows gathered together.

Damon shook his head, "It doesn't matter. He's dead, AJ."

"_Why?"_ she almost shouted. Why is he dead? Why did they kill him? He was protecting them all! Why would they take that away?

"Because, AJ! We couldn't trust him!" Damon got in her face, mad that she couldn't see that.

"_We?_ You mean _you,_ Damon! _You_ couldn't trust him! You barely knew him!" AJ countered, angry tears forming in her eyes again. She was so mad at them for keeping another thing from her, for killing Elijah—the only person who made her feel completely _safe_.

"AJ," Stephen said quietly from where he sat, "I think Damon's right. He had his own agenda—"

"Oh, and how could you possibly know that, Stephen? Show me some proof! I don't believe either of you, and I can't believe you were in on this Elena!" AJ let go of any self control she had the minute she woke up, and it was showing.

"AJ, I wasn't! I didn't know! But… Well they're right," Elena said, looking sadly at her friend, "AJ, he was going to let me be sacrificed. He was going to let me die. And I knew it… I just—I'm so sorry AJ."

That was a bullet to the heart. He was going to let Elena be sacrificed? And _she_ knew, too? AJ's head was spinning, she felt so faint and weak. He lied to her. He said he'd keep her friends safe. _But he did!_ Part of her said. The very good part. _He did keep your friends safe, and he kept you safe. He has to have a good reason for hiding this from you—he has to have some kind of plan so that Elena doesn't die. He has to._ She wanted to listen to that voice and believe it without doubt, but it was the doubt she was drowning in. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to think. She just fell to the ground and cried. She cried for his betrayal, his lies and Elena's. But most of all she cried for his death and the goodness she saw in him. She cried because for some reason, it was as if her heart just broke.

**It'll get very good soon.(-:**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 18

AJ was sitting in her room. Just sitting and staring out the window, not really seeing anything. _He_ had been on her mind far too long. She needed to stop thinking about him—she knew it. She had to get ready to go to school. She knew that too. But she couldn't stop thinking about him.

"AJ?" Ms. Flowers asked hesitantly as she walked into the girl's room. "Dear, you must get dressed. School's in a half hour."

AJ nodded, acknowledging that she heard the woman. She would go to school. She just needed to think.

"AJ, dear. Tell me what's wrong. I've never seen you like this before," Ms. Flowers said gently. AJ was like a granddaughter to her—she loved her dearly. The girl's blank stare scared her. It looked like she was truly traumatized.

AJ blinked hard, her eyes focusing on her surroundings. Ms. Flowers was sitting on her bed. Today she was wearing a pink shirt and khaki capris. Her grey hair was styled nicely, as it usually was. AJ looked at her for a moment, and then shook her head, shaking away the grey and empty feeling that was becoming her. She managed to smile at Ms. Flowers. She didn't want the older woman to worry about her. She didn't want _anyone_ to worry. There was too much of it already.

"I'll be ready and downstairs in a minute."

Ms. Flowers stayed for a moment, regarding AJ. She decided she was okay for the time being. She left the room.

AJ dressed and did all the other necessities on autopilot. _His_ face was stuck in her mind. Suddenly she froze as she was using the straightener on her hair—she remembered something. As long as the dagger remains in place, he was dead. If it was removed, she had no doubt that he'd be alive again. He had to, he was an Original! It was at least worth trying. She nodded to herself as she continued to do her hair. This was good information to remember.

After she arrived at school and approached Elena, Bonnie, Stephen, and Caroline, she heard Elena complain about her father being back in town. AJ almost wanted to say that there were worse things, but she bit her tongue. Elena was her best friend no matter what. And AJ understood why she didn't want her father around. Quite frankly, he was a creep.

"Hey guys," AJ said, her voice holding its usual life in it, which was surprising even to herself. She even managed a believable smile. "What's up?"

Everyone studied AJ for a moment—they were obviously all clued in to her reaction of Elijah's death. She had sobbed and sobbed over it, even as Damon took her home. He had to carry her back to her bedroom—she had been too weak. As they studied her, she remained looking like her normal carefree self. It was all she could do so she wouldn't start crying again. That was a thought she had to shake off—she didn't understand it in the least. Why did she have such a strong reaction to his death? She didn't know.

After realizing AJ was okay, Elena groaned and filled her in on her father. AJ listened intently, trying with much effort to remain composed. Finally first bell rang, signaling the beginning of school. AJ never thought she'd be so relieved to hear it. She actually never thought she'd hear the sound of the first bell. There's a first time for everything, she supposed.

She went through the day grudgingly working on assignments and making small talk with classmates before it finally ended. Although she did welcome the distraction, her heart just wasn't in it. A tiny voice in her head said it was somewhere else—she added that to the list of things she didn't understand. But then a whole other problem started. Waiting for everyone to meet by their cars like they always did after school was Damon, leaning against Stephen's car. He didn't look happy in the least.

"What's wrong?" Stephen asked as he took in his brother's expression.

Everyone waited, holding their breath, to hear what the next big crisis was.

"One word," Damon said, his eyes narrowed and angry, "Katherine."

Everyone was grimly silent until AJ laughed humorlessly. "Now do you think it was a good idea to kill him? He compelled her to stay there. After his death, it would be rendered useless. Nice job guys," she muttered but regained her usual composure. She made herself look bored and unaffected. She wouldn't let them see that she was even bitterer about it than that.

Damon glared at her. AJ shrugged in a sort of apologetic way, even if she wasn't.

"_Anyway_," Damon stressed the word, "She stopped by the boarding house." He had a confused expression on his face as he recalled what she told him. "She says she actually wants to help."

"I don't trust her," Stephen said immediately.

"You aren't the only one, Brother," Damon replied.

No one was happy.

AJ decided to go with Elena and Bonnie back to the Salvatore house. She wanted to keep up her appearance of no longer being fazed by Elijah's death, even though she almost gave it away in the parking lot. But she wouldn't make that mistake again. She wanted them to believe she was okay with it now.

Everyone was silent walking up to the front door, thinking over what it meant for Katherine to offer her 'help'. It couldn't be good.

She was standing the in the living room waiting for them, looking extremely bored and impatient. "_Finally!"_ she exaggerated as she plopped down into a seat, looking from one person to the other, scrutinizing. "I was beginning to think no one was showing up," she smirked.

AJ rolled her eyes. She hated Katherine with a passion, and she especially hated it when the vampire opened her mouth. It was hard to believe that such a cruel creature looked like Elena. It was weird being in the same room as the both of them.

"So," Elena said as everyone entered the room completely, eyeing Katherine up and down, "You say you want to help?"

Katherine still smirked, "That I do, Lena."

"Why?" Elena crossed her arms, frowning. Her voice said it all—she didn't believe Katherine.

Katherine rolled her eyes now. "Is it so hard to believe? I want the Klaus dead just as much as you all do. It would definitely diminish some of my problems," she shrugged.

"But why help us?" Stephen asked. Although he had once been in love with Katherine, he no longer felt any semblance to those feelings. He was devoted to Elena, there was no doubt in his mind about that. And he really didn't trust a word that came out of Katherine's mouth.

Katherine exaggerated a sigh. "Gee, I don't know Stephen," she said, demeaning. "Maybe because you guys have the best shot at actually killing the bastard? You've killed Elijah," She smiled now and gave AJ a look.

Everyone chanced a look at AJ.

Katherine's words stung, but she didn't let it show. She just shrugged. "Yes, Elijah is dead. Lucky for you. So you're right, we probably do have a good chance at defeating Klaus. But why should we need your help, Katherine? I thought the only thing you were good at is running away from your problems."

Katherine glared at AJ, unblinking. The look would have been scary for anyone else. AJ just felt triumphant. She got the reaction she'd wanted from Katherine.

"Look," Katherine said, unhappy as she stood up, "I'm offering you my help, no strings attached. You can believe that I want to help you or not, I really don't care. If you don't, then I can just leave and do whatever the hell I please, wherever the hell I like. Or I can stay here and help you guys fight. Your pick." She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

It was silent. Everyone was internally debating the pros and cons of having Katherine around. Sure, it meant they had another strong, older vampire around, which was something they were short on. But it also meant that she could choose to stab them in the back whenever she deemed it necessary. Everyone knew Katherine was all about Katherine, all the time.

Stephen finally spoke up, quietly, "Your help may be of some use…" The others looked over at him, surprised.

"Great," Katherine said, smiling somewhat wickedly, "Tell me what I can do."

**Tell me what ya think!(:**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 19

AJ sighed. She was sitting in the Salvatore's living room with Damon, Stephen, and Katherine, looking through some books on other ways to kill Klaus that didn't involve the dagger that resided in Elijah's body. Wherever that was. She had a strong feeling it was in the house—probably the cellar. Where else would they keep a body they had to keep an eye on?

She was getting annoyed. When Katherine had first walked into the room, AJ's eyes nearly fell out of her head, she was that surprised. The vampire wore the most revealing shirt AJ had ever seen. It was slutty and gross. Katherine wouldn't stop trying to seduce the brothers, distracting them from their research. It was downright disturbing to watch, but AJ tried tuning it out. She tried to focus on reading.

But then, of course, _his_ face popped up into her head, as it tended to do about every hour of the day—on a good day. She didn't know why he haunted her so much. Maybe it was because she had always felt so safe and secure whenever he'd been around. Every time that crossed her mind, she couldn't help but think of how strange that was. He had been the most dangerous creature she'd ever encountered—she had every reason to fear him, wholly. But she didn't. She felt _comforted_ by his presence. Ever since she spoke civilly with him, she truly felt comforted by him. Safe. They were feelings she never thought she'd be graced with having. She realized she missed him—that much was blatant. But she couldn't _stop_ missing him; she couldn't get over the fact that he was gone. And that he didn't have to be. At any point, probably better when the Salvatore's weren't home, she could find him and pull the dagger out. She knew that. But sometimes she couldn't bring herself to think about it, to actually truly consider doing it. What if he was so mad he'd kill everyone? No… she didn't think he'd do that. Not if she explained everything to him. But could she? She didn't even really know what happened that night. She never wanted to know.

Katherine sighed exaggeratedly and stood up, "Well I'm bored. And thirsty." Katherine began walking towards the cellar, no doubt going to get some blood. AJ refrained herself from following her. She was starting to have no doubt at all that that was where Elijah was.

AJ tried to refocus on reading instead of thinking about Elijah. She tried very, very hard. She nearly succeeded when there was a loud crash downstairs.

"Damon!" Katherine yelled upstairs. AJ's head whipped in the direction of the cellar. Damon rushed down in a blur but Stephen stayed where he was, shrugging at AJ. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal. Then he seemed to have heard something because he, too, rushed down stairs.

AJ threw her book aside and ran over to the door and down the stairs to join them, sensing the emergency. What she saw made her feel sick.

Damon was using a _flamethrower_ of all things, shooting fire into the cell. On Elijah's body. She had to give it everything she had not to scream at him to stop, not to start crying all over again. Through the fire, she could see his grayed, dead face. The dagger was right in his heart. But she had expected him to burn up in the flames, not be absolutely flame-resistant. She was shocked but then quickly reminded herself that he was an _Original._ Fire wouldn't be enough to destroy them. Then she wondered why the hell Damon was roasting Elijah's body if it wouldn't light.

"What are you doing?" Stephen asked Damon, clearing wondering the same thing as AJ.

"It's some kind of psychotic crazy ass witch attack!" Damon replied, "Get over there and do something about it!" AJ assumed he meant to get over to Luka's apartment. Bonnie had filled her in on his witch status.

Stephen hesitated and looked over to where Katherine lay on the ground. AJ hadn't even realized she'd been stabbed until now. "You go!" AJ yelled at Stephen over the loudness of the flamethrower, "I'll help her!" AJ never thought such words would come out of her mouth when in relation to Katherine.

Stephen disappeared. AJ maneuvered her way around Damon and knelt down so she could look at Katherine's wound, effectively ignoring glancing at Elijah's dead body. "What do I need to do?" AJ asked Katherine. Katherine stared at her in pain and surprise.

"I need blood," the vampire managed to say.

AJ nodded and got up quickly, moving around Damon once more to get to the icebox that held blood from the blood bank. AJ lifted the lid and peered inside, noting that there was a decent supply. She grabbed two packets and dropped the lid, returning to Katherine.

"Here," AJ said, putting it close to the vampire's mouth. Katherine's fangs came out and she bit the back, sucking on it until it was empty. AJ held up the other bag so she could do the same. After drinking the blood bags, Katherine was starting to look noticeably better. The wound in her stomach began to close. Katherine sat up straighter and regarded AJ with a strange look.

"You helped me," she stated as if she couldn't believe it.

AJ nodded, feeling the same way Katherine did. But looking at Katherine dying reminded her of the dream she had when Elena died. She wouldn't let it happen. She didn't.

AJ stood up and turned around. Damon was still using the flamethrower.

"Damon, I think you can stop now!" AJ shouted and rolled her eyes. Damon gave her a look, but stopped nonetheless. AJ tried her hardest to not look at Elijah. She tried. But she didn't succeed. There were still tiny flames ignited on his suit, but they were quickly dying out. Her grayed, veined face appalled her—he shouldn't look that way. She wanted to see him the way he used to be. The way he should be. She tore her eyes from his body, forcing them to Katherine. She was standing now, still looking marginally confused at AJ. Almost guarded.

AJ didn't blame her, really. If Katherine had helped _her_, she was sure she'd feel the same.

Stephen zoomed back down into the cellar, clearly worried.

"What's wrong now?" AJ asked, alert.

"Luka's dead. His father wants revenge, and he blames Elena. Does anyone know where she is?" His words were rushed as he explained. He was frantic. He had to get to Elena, _now._

"I think she's supposed to be at the Grille with the girls," AJ said. She'd been invited to go, but she wanted to help research with Damon and Stephen.

Stephen zoomed out of the room, heading in the direction of the Grille.

"Well," AJ said as the two remaining vampires looked at her anxiously, "It's a good thing I have a fast car." And then she was running up the stairs and out the front door, assuming that both Damon and Katherine were already on their way to the Grille. Once AJ got there, she got out of the car and ran inside. Some band was playing and a lot of people were standing up, watching them. She didn't have to strain to stand on her tip-toes too hard due to her 5'9 height to search the crowds, but she didn't see Elena anywhere. She started pushing her way through people when she finally came across her. Stephen had already found her.

"Have you seen him?" AJ asked, looking around the room as she kept an eye out for the man she met once.

Elena shook her head, "Not yet."

"Let's get you out of here," Stephen said quickly, putting his hand on the small of Elena's back as he tried to guide her towards the exit. _Then_ they saw him.

"It didn't have to be like this!" Jonas shouted, his voice full of pain and despair. Not many people noticed him since the band was so loud. He was standing a few feet in front of Elena and Stephen. AJ did what her instinct told her to do, and that was to stand in front of Elena. Screw not being able to heal, she wasn't going to let him hurt her friend.

"And it doesn't!" AJ shouted back, holding her hands up in a way to communicate peace. He was a powerful witch. She wasn't sure just how much he was capable of. That was, of course, until he shattered every piece of glass in the building. That sure got everyone's attention as they began screaming, running towards the entrance. AJ noticed distressingly that some people were injured by the broken glass. Jonas shut the door and blocked it off, keeping everyone inside.

"Luka is dead because of you!" Jonas pointed at Elena and then looked at AJ accusingly, "_And we were trying to help you! _ Elijah was protecting _you_, and _you_ let him die. Now Luka is dead. You'll all pay!" he cried. He was sad to look at, sad to listen to, but AJ couldn't let pity get in the way of protecting Elena. He was clear when he said he wanted revenge.

"Stephen," AJ said quickly and quietly as Jonas's eyes looked manically from Elena to AJ, seemingly trying to figure out which he should kill first, "Get Elena out of here. I'll be the distraction. I won't take no for an answer." Just when she thought Stephen would still object, she heard the sound of his quick movement. She wasn't sure how he'd get Elena out, but she knew he would.

"It's no use to try to save your friend," Jonas said menacingly, "I'll find her. She'll pay for what she did."

"Jonas, it was an accident! We didn't know it would hurt Luka—we didn't even know it was him!" AJ shouted, trying to get the man to be reasonable. But she knew it wouldn't work. She understood why he was doing what he was. He was heartbroken—one of his children was taken by Klaus and now the other was dead. She fought the pity she felt for him. She needed to keep her guard up.

Suddenly Caroline was there, latching on to Jonas and attacking him. _Oh no, _AJ thought, _this must be Stephen's attempt at an escape. _ She didn't think it could end well. At that, Caroline began screaming as she fell to her knees, holding her head as her eyes pinched together. Jonas was using his brain-attack that Bonnie could do.

"Caroline!" Matt yelled. AJ didn't think things could get any worse. "You bastard, what are you doing to her?" Before AJ could stop him, Matt tried getting at Jonas. That resulted in a piece of glass getting thrown into Matt's jugular. AJ felt sick.

"Matt!" Caroline called out, "No, Matt," she cried weakly as she crawled over to him.

But where were Elena and Stephen? And what about Damon and Katherine?

She didn't have time to think about those questions any longer because before she knew it, Jonas was advancing on her. She prepared to defend herself when suddenly something jammed into her stomach. Jonas was still standing a few feet away, but he looked oddly satisfied. _Sickly_ satisfied.

AJ dreaded looking down; the pain of whatever struck her was beginning to increase. But she did. And she regretted it. It was a splintered piece of wood, right in the middle of her abdomen. Her blood was trickling out around it, saturating her clothes as is slowly dripped down her body. It was absolutely sickening. It was _painful_. She tried to cry out but blood bubbled over her mouth and trickled down the side of her face. She fell to the floor instantly, first on her knees, then on her side. Her vision began fading in and out, her other senses doing the same. She knew Jonas had left already, that he was in pursuit of Elena now. She heard the crunching of his boots on broken glass after he whispered in her ear that 'she got what she deserved'. She could barely process the words.

The world was spinning around her, fading ever so slowly. Fading into black and nothingness. All she could think about was Elijah's face, how she should have resurrected him when she had the chance. He would have taken care of her. She was sure of it. Why hadn't she? Then she thought she was totally going to kick Jonas's ass all the way to next Tuesday. That was when, of course, she blacked out.

**A/N: Check out the poll on my profile. It may be relevant to what happens in the story; it probably will be. (: Tell me what you guys think so far!(:**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 20

The annoyingly repeating '_beep…beep…beep' _was the first thing she heard when her senses started coming back to her. She felt oddly numb. She briefly wondered if she was dead. The memories of what had happened that night flooded quickly back into her mind.

Elijah's dead body… Katherine healing… Luka dead… Jonas wants revenge… Elena! Was Elena okay? AJ tried opening her eyes, but they felt so heavy. After a moment she managed to open them into slits. She looked to be in a hospital room, and the beeping noise was her heart monitor. She groaned—well, as much of a groan she could manage. She _hated_ hospitals. They smelled funny and their food was worse than the school's prison food. Much worse.

"I think she might be awake," someone whispered in the room. _Huh?_ AJ couldn't tell if that was just her imagination or if someone else was there. Oh god, was it a nurse or a doctor? Her body tensed at that thought, her instincts telling her to protect herself. She disliked doctors. Especially nurses. They were all evil.

"AJ, it's okay. It's me, Elena," Elena said quietly as she smoothed out AJ's hair. "Stephen and the others are here, too."

AJ relaxed. It was Elena. She sighed in relief. Elena was okay. Everything was okay. No evil nurses.

"Jonas?" AJ asked, not yet able to complete a full sentence. Whatever drugs they gave her must have been good ones.

"He's… well he's dead. Damon and Katherine tricked him," Elena said, trying to be short on the answer so AJ would focus on something else. The girl was in bad condition. Elena glanced behind her to see the worried faces of Bonnie, Stephen, Damon, and Jeremy. She gave them a small smile, indicating that AJ seemed to be okay. They only relaxed a hair.

"How?" AJ asked, very curious. She had wondered where Damon and Katherine had been.

Elena sighed. AJ was stubborn. "Katherine pretended to be me, at my house. She killed him there. She's cleaning up the mess."

AJ nodded. It sounded like a very good plan. Then she froze completely. "What about Caroline?" she asked, more coherent.

"Caroline… is with Matt," Elena said evasively. She wasn't sure if AJ knew.

"Is Matt dead? Did she save him?" AJ was so scared now. She knew how much Matt meant to Caroline. She should have paid more attention to them. She hoped Caroline gave him blood.

"She saved him," Elena answered, "He's just having trouble… understanding."

AJ nodded again, relieved. Vampires had come as a shock to her, too, when she first learned of them. But like everything else, she quickly got over it. Life was weird. She accepted it.

"Have you spoken to the doctors?" AJ asked through clenched teeth. Although she didn't like them, she knew, obviously, that they'd know what was wrong with her.

"Yes," Elena said, sympathetic to AJ's phobia (even if she denies it), "Luckily they got all of the splinters of the wood out, but it was a large piece. It missed any major organs, but it'll take time to heal and you have a broken rib. They've got you on tons of painkillers right now."

AJ opened her eyes completely now, battling the heaviness. She looked at Elena and the others, confused. "What, are you two low blood or do you just want me to suffer through the pain?" she joked with Stephen and Damon. They gave each other troubled looks.

"Don't you remember what happened to Caroline?" Elena asked, wondering if AJ could have forgotten.

AJ sighed, "Yes, I do unfortunately. But that was when Katherine was on the 'dark-side.' If I recall correctly, and I'm sure that I do, she's on our side now. No worries."

Elena cast an anxious yet curious look back at Stephen and Damon. "I suppose if someone stayed with you, it'd be all right."

"Pleeease," AJ said, "I don't want to have to hobble around everywhere. Plus, I'm starting to feel stinging. This sucks." She frowned. She really just wanted to be healed so she could still defend herself and protect the others.

Damon shrugged. "Okay. I'll give her mine and stay here for the night."

Bonnie and Jeremy, although hesitant, didn't object. They needed the Warrior on her game as much as anyone else did.

Damon walked over to where AJ lay in the hospital bed and helped her prop up on one of the pillows. He proceeded to bite into his wrist and hold it out to her expectantly. She looked at him a moment and then at his wrist. She took it and closed her eyes—it was the first time she'd ever drink a vampire's blood. She always thought the prospect of it was gross, even though it was useful. She sucked up girlish thoughts and fears and drank. His blood was somewhat sweet, not totally disgusting but not totally awesome either. She drank a little more before he pulled away when he assumed she had more than enough.

She held a hand over her wound, waiting expectantly for it to heal. She couldn't see it and since she had one of those stupid hospital gowns on she couldn't lift up a shirt and look, so she could only try and feel it. It stayed the same. A few minutes later… It still stayed the same.

"Well?" Elena asked, hopeful.

AJ shook her head, deep in thought. She pushed her hand a little harder against the wound, grimacing at the pain that resulted. It was definitely not healing. What the heck?

"AJ?" Elena asked, looking strangely at her friend, "Does it feel any better?"

AJ looked Elena in the eye, her face without an expression. "Not at all. It hasn't even begun to heal even a little bit."

Elena was confused, as was everyone else in the room. How was that possible? Didn't vampire blood always work? Everyone was silent as they turned this over in their heads.

"Elena," AJ said, not looking at her friend but staring blankly at the wall as she thought, "When you found a little bit of research on the Warrior, did it ever mention anything about how vampire blood affected me?"

Elena raised her eyebrows, "You think it has something to do with you being the Warrior?"

AJ shrugged, "Why else wouldn't it work?" She looked around at everyone, seeing if anyone had a better idea than she did. They clearly didn't.

"Well," AJ said, her face still expressionless, "Fan-_freaking_-tastic." Then she looked thoughtful. "At least I'll have a cool scar."

Damon sniggered. "Because that's such a good thing."

AJ shrugged again. "Gotta look at the bright side of things," she said somewhat cheerfully.

"I'm still staying the night. The doctors said you could be released in the morning, but you have to be very careful. They stitched you up, so any sudden movements could tear them out," Damon informed her as he took a seat in one of the hospital chairs and tried to get comfortable. He was unsuccessful.

AJ groaned. "Stupid doctors."

The others left a little while after that, leaving AJ and Damon alone. Damon told her that she should try to get some sleep, but she didn't feel like it. She actually had a few questions, and she was sure they weren't going to be very pleasant.

"Why'd you kill him, Damon?" she asked, breaking their silence.

He looked over at her sadly. "I already told you. We didn't trust him. And he was going to let Elena die. I won't let that happen."

"How do you know for sure that he'd truly let her die? How do you know he didn't have another plan?" She didn't want to think of Elijah as the bad guy. He wasn't.

"Well if he did, AJ, he sure as hell didn't share it with us," Damon replied coldly but then recoiled. He gave her an apologetic look. The image of Elena being killed kept replaying in his head and he couldn't stand it.

"If you would have told me, I could have asked him," AJ said softly. She could tell that Damon was just worried about Elena.

"Do you really think he would have told you?" Damon asked with doubt. He only ever saw Elijah as cold and uncaring. But then Damon remembered that things were different between him and AJ. It was almost as if the Original truly cared. Stephen had told him about finding the old vampire outside of AJ's window when she had been having a nightmare.

AJ thought for a moment. She didn't want to assume right away that, yes, Elijah would have told her. Maybe he wouldn't have. But she felt that the last time they spoke, he had been different. Kinder. "Yes," AJ said with some confidence, "I think maybe he would have."

Damon nodded, acknowledging her answer. Then he began to wonder why the hell his blood hadn't healed her. Something wasn't right about that.

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	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 21

AJ was getting ready for school, however with hesitance. For one, where Jonas had stabbed her with that stupid piece of wood still hurt like a bitch, and two, it'd been a week since Katherine jumped on board of the Let's-all-kill-Klaus-and-save-everyone ship, and it was getting rocky. Every so often AJ would get the feeling that letting Katherine help was a bad idea. And then she disappeared, and no one's heard from her. AJ had a very bad feeling about that. She thought maybe it was time to start listening to her bad feelings more.

So she dressed very carefully, the pain not bothering her as much as the fact that she couldn't really do anything. She felt useless. And confused. Damon's blood should have healed her completely, shouldn't it have? Vampire blood seemed to work on everyone else. Matt was alive, and although compelled to forget about what Caroline was, he was still doing well. AJ just didn't get it. But she tried to be quick in her timing that Monday morning. She knew Alaric was fed up with her being late for first hour every day.

AJ went downstairs to sit at the breakfast bar. Ever since she'd been stabbed, Ms. Flowers insisted on making every meal for her. And there the elder woman was, making her scrambled eggs and toast. AJ felt oddly happy in that moment—it felt as if Ms. Flowers was truly her grandmother. She never had such a feeling before.

"Here you go, sweetie," Ms. Flowers said as she put the plate in front of AJ. "Oh I still can't believe someone tried robbing you! I grew up in Mystic Falls—it wasn't like that back in the day!"

Yes, AJ had lied to Ms. Flowers about what had happened to her, but was she really supposed to tell the woman that a witch hell-bent on revenge for Damon unknowingly killing his witchy-invisible son used magic to wedge a piece of splintered wood into her stomach and left her for dead because for some reason he blamed her and Elena for it? Probably not. And she probably wasn't supposed to mention that the same guy totally had his ass handed to him on a platter by Katherine, Elena's evil vampire look-alike, in Elena's bathroom. No, that didn't sound like too good of an idea, either. AJ ate her eggs in silence.

With perfect timing, Damon pulled into the boarding house's driveway. He promised AJ that he'd take her to school since she wasn't in the greatest condition to drive her own car. With caution, AJ lifted her crossover bag and rested it on her shoulder gently. Even that amount of movement caused a lot of pain. She was lucky she had a high tolerance for it.

"Hey," AJ said as soon as she got into Damon's car, "Thanks for doing this."

"Psh," he looked over at her with a smile, "It's the least I can do, especially since my blood didn't heal you."

"Did you find anything on that?" AJ asked as he began driving.

Damon shook his head, frowning. "Nothing at all. There isn't too much written down about Warriors—not even really anything on what your purpose is. Which is strange, don't you think?"

AJ shrugged, "Maybe all the past Warriors were neurotic privacy freaks. Like me." She winked at him.

He laughed, "Maybe. But don't you think they'd keep some kind of record for future Warriors? How did they all figure out what they were—what to do?"

"Maybe we just have the instinct, like how I decided to come here of all places when I was sixteen. Maybe it's like when animals migrate—they just _know_. You know?"

He burst out laughing now, "You just compared yourself to an animal." He looked her deviously head-to-toe. "I had no clue, AJ," he said, his voice blatantly suggestive.

She smacked his arm. "Shut up," she said shortly as she hid her smile.

He laughed again but grew more somber, "I do think I understand what you mean. But you'd still think they would have kept _some_ records." Damon obviously wasn't happy that they didn't.

"Those lazy bitches," AJ said as seriously as she could manage.

Damon was still laughing after he dropped her off at the school.

She walked slowly and carefully to Alaric's class, even if the first bell hadn't rung yet. She wanted to make sure she made it there on time; more so, she just wanted to sit down. Pain was exhausting.

As she passed Elena and the others, they joined her. Stephen took her bag since he was the only one who actually had the class with her. She thought he looked amusing holding a purse. As the others broke off to go to their own classes, AJ and Stephen were left walking along.

"How's it feel?" he asked considerately, studying her as they walked.

"Like a million bucks," AJ said, smirking. Although she was cautious, nothing in her stride gave away the fact she was injured. Stephen found it impressive.

"Is it healing quickly?" he asked, curious.

"Quickly for a human, a Warrior, or a vampire?"

"Warrior," he clarified.

"Kind of. I mean, I suppose it's healing faster than it would for an average human, but not _that_ much faster," AJ replied, somewhat puzzled. Of course, walking around thinking she was Superwoman probably wasn't a good idea. Now that she knew she could get injured as badly as a human could, she'd have to be just a _tad_ more careful, she supposed.

Stephen nodded, puzzled too. They entered history class in record time—they had a minute left before the bell rung.

AJ inhaled dramatically, but stopped when it hurt her ribs. "Never thought I'd see this room empty," she joked.

Stephen laughed, "What's it like?"

"Depressing."

He laughed again as they took their seats in the back. He sat down easily and swiftly as she slowly maneuvered herself into her seat. She huffed.

Alaric walked in then. Upon noticing the two of them sitting in the back, he stopped, surprise all over his face. Quickly he masked it though. AJ assumed it was because he didn't want to offend her or discourage her from actually showing up on time. She smiled at him.

"Surprised to see me, Alaric?"

He looked her up and down for a quick moment. "Well—yes, as a matter of fact I am. How are you?"

AJ was a little confused that he didn't comment on her non-tardiness right away. "I'm doing fine. Much better actually, it should heal up nicely."

He nodded and smiled, "That's so great to hear."

AJ frowned, still wary. Students were starting to file in. "Aren't you going to comment on me not being late for once?"

Alaric laughed deeply after a moment, "I wasn't sure if I should or not. I thought maybe you'd actually keep up with it if I didn't. I must say, AJ, that I am impressed."

The first bell rang. She smirked at him, "You're right. I suddenly feel like leaving. But I won't," she added quickly, suppressing a groan. "I'm here so I might as well stay."

"That you should," Alaric said oddly. Then he began class, going on with an unusual enthusiasm that neither AJ nor Stephen had seen before. At least not in a very long time.

"Is he usually like this in the beginning?" AJ asked Stephen as Alaric continued with his somewhat amusing lecture.

Stephen shook his head, "Never. He usually makes us read while he drinks his morning coffee, then he starts."

AJ 'hmmed.' "He must've gotten lucky with Jenna," she suggested.

Stephen nodded, somewhat perturbed. "Must have."

The forty five minutes of class they had went by strangely fast. AJ wasn't really used to being there for the whole time, so she was surprised. And she felt a little weird since most of the time, Alaric looked right at _her_. She wondered if it was because she was wearing short-shorts and he felt as a faculty member that she was showing too much skin. She hadn't been able to really identify the way he'd been looking at her—that was how odd it was. She was even more surprised when Alaric asked her to stay after class for a moment.

"Yeah, no problemo," AJ said after she waved goodbye at Stephen, saying without words that she could man her bag. It wasn't really that heavy. She walked over to where Alaric sat at his desk and took a seat on a student's desk in front of it. Her ribs ached.

"I must say," Alaric began, looking pleased, "I am proud of you for actually making the effort to be here on time, AJ. Are you going to keep up with it?" He asked that as if he were asking a child to stop its bad behavior.

She was thoughtful for a moment. She figured he was going to give her a lecture about what she wore to school. It appeared not. She shrugged, then remembered to answer him. "Maybe. I like not having to make up the work you give in the beginning of class. It's… liberating," AJ laughed. She really hated make-up work.

"Well, good, I'm glad to hear it!" Alaric said with that strange enthusiasm again.

AJ regarded him with narrowed eyes. "Are you all right, Alaric?"

He just smiled back at her, looking a little surprised, "Why yes I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"I knew it!" AJ said, smiling too. "You and Jenna are so back together, aren't you?"

"Was it that obvious?" He regarded her now with narrowed eyes. She just didn't catch the true meaning behind it.

"Duh," she said, laughing. "I'm happy for you," she leapt off the table, ignoring the pain it caused her as she headed towards the door, "Have a nice day!"

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	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 22

"AJ, tell me you're getting ready for the Seventies Dance," Elena said hopefully. AJ couldn't see her since they were on the phone, but she could imagine the girl crossing her fingers.

AJ groaned. "Elena," she nearly whined like Caroline, "You know I _hate_ the Seventies. And am I really in any condition to dance? I don't think so," AJ stated matter-of-factly.

"But you can do it to just look good for the night!" Elena suggested, "Please AJ? Please, please, please—"

"Okay, okay!" AJ interrupted what was sure to be a very long begging from her best friend, "I surrender. I'll go." AJ sighed. She had really hoped to avoid the stupid dance. Normally she was all for dancing, but she hated the annual Seventies Dance with a passion. Did people really want to flashback to those years? Hell-oo. The hairstyles? Gag-inducing. Literally.

"Yes!" Elena said triumphantly, "I knew you'd go!"

"But I don't have anything to wear," AJ replied, still trying the slim chance she had to get out of it.

"Yes you do! Remember that short, red dress you have? Wear that! It'll be perfect! And you can—"

"Elena, if you think I'm doing anything to my hair you are so very _painfully_ wrong. It's staying the way it is. I _forbid_ hairspray to go anywhere near it. Understood?" AJ said in her take-no-prisoners voice. She wasn't happy that she had to go to the dance, so she would look the way she wanted for it.

"Yeah that's fine," Elena replied quickly, sensing her friend's threat of withdrawal otherwise.

"Good. When does it start?"

"Seven sharp. Meet you there?" Elena asked without words if AJ needed a ride.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can manage the car fine. See you at seven. And if I look murderous, who do you think is to blame?" AJ added sarcastically. Elena laughed and hung up.

AJ sighed deeply. She really didn't want to go. But she figured she might as well—Klaus was near. _Very_ near. Elena had been getting ominous messages from him by random people for days. So AJ figured she should go, if only to look out for Elena.

She trudged over to her closet to find the red dress Elena had mentioned buried deep in the depths of it. After finally managing to get it out without causing her abdomen further pain, she made her way to the bathroom to get ready. The dress fit perfectly, hugging her body snugly at the strapless top to the waist, then sheering out with several tiers that landed mid-thigh. It was perfect because she could hide a stake close to her leg. She figured she should have a weapon of some sort—just in case. She knew it wouldn't really hurt Klaus much, but it had killed Elijah for at least a little while. She suppressed thinking of Elijah. She just couldn't. She focused back on herself—at the task at hand. It wasn't necessarily a 'Seventies' dress, but she didn't really care. She straightened her hair, making her bangs dramatic as they fell just above her eyes. Decidedly, she skipped heels and went for flats. She was already tall, so she never really needed the heels. She especially didn't need the discomfort they caused her. After briefly checking herself over in the mirror, she was satisfied. She declared herself ready.

She arrived at seven-fifteen. The parking lot of the school was packed—as it usually was for a dance. She eased herself out of the car and began walking in the direction of the gym; the feeling of the stake hidden away comforted her as she walked. Her heart was doing that weird fluttering thing that always happened when she was nervous. She wasn't really sure why exactly that was. As she entered the gym she saw how it was even more packed than the parking lot. She was surprised so many people liked the theme—she found it appalling. But she shrugged—some people just liked to go out and enjoy themselves.

She spotted Elena in a sleek blue dress a ways away from her. Stephen and Damon were by her side, as well as Bonnie who looked even more 'hippie-ish' than anyone AJ had seen yet. AJ walked over to them, still hiding the pain her wound was still causing her.

"Hey guys," AJ said dully just to make it clear she didn't want to be there, "Did anyone bring the pot?"

Everyone gave her an odd glance.

"You know, because it's a Seventies dance?" AJ clarified. Really, you'd think they were oblivious to what really happened in the seventies.

Damon laughed then, "Rock on," he said, holding out his fist to bump. He seemed to be in an oddly good mood. That was, of course, when things got… weird.

"And this next song is dedicated to the lovely Elena, from Klaus," the DJ said loud and clear into his microphone. Obvious much? A slow song started playing, but they all stood looking anxiously around while everyone around them danced. AJ decided that it was, indeed, a good thing she came. Even though Klaus would surely be looking for her, he'd be looking for Elena just as much. And probably taunting the poor girl more.

"I'm going to go check some things out, guys," AJ announced, keeping lookout even in her peripherals for anything out of the ordinary. "I'll be back."

"Wait," Elena said, grabbing her arm, "You shouldn't go alone. Besides the fact that you're still injured, it's you he's really after."

AJ laughed. "Uhm, I don't think so. At least not right now. He dedicated the song to _you_ Lena. I think that makes an obvious point that you're the one he'll be trying to get to. Besides, I'll scream if I have to. Do you see how many people are here? I'll be fine." AJ tried shrugging off Elena's worry, but she could see it didn't have the full effect she wanted it to have. Elena was biting her lip.

"Really, I'll just stay inside, around people. I'll be fine and I'll be careful, okay?"

Elena still hesitated. Then she nodded, looking doubtful though. "Okay."

Before AJ tried escaping again, she caught Damon's pointed look. He wanted her to be extra careful too. She nodded at him, and then began searching the crowds. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for. She drifted over to the punch table and just stood, letting her eyes wander over all the people present. Nothing looked too out of the ordinary. Everyone was having a good time, dancing, laughing, and eating the small food that was supplied. Some guys looked suspiciously drunk, but that was all. She hadn't heard him approach until he started talking to her.

"Enjoying yourself, AJ?" Alaric asked as he stood beside her, munching on a cookie.

She looked at him, surprised. "I didn't realize you were chaperoning. Did you volunteer, or did they make you?" AJ gave him a sympathetic look for the last part.

"I volunteered. I didn't really have much going on tonight. Besides, who wouldn't want to try and stop the teenagers of today from doing that 'dance' they call grinding?" He looked perturbed, cringing, "It's disturbing."

AJ laughed, smiling, "I agree. Who came up with that dance? Whatever happened to the classy ways of dancing?"

Alaric regarded her in wonderment, but she didn't notice. She was still scanning the crowds.

"Are you much of a ballroom dancer, AJ?" He asked suddenly, curiously.

She shrugged, "I know how to. I like it. There's never really much of an occasion for it, though, other than for the more formal events." She thought his question was strange but she disregarded it—he's old (_her _definition of old). Old people ask weird questions.

He absorbed this information as he studied her. Then, "AJ, there's something I meant to speak with you about. But, well, we can't really talk about it here. Because—you know," he hinted.

She could tell that it probably had something to do with Klaus or vampires in general. She nodded as she looked at him. "Where's a safe place to talk?"

He motioned his head towards the door leading to the main corridor of the school where most of the classrooms were located. He began walking in that direction, so she followed him. Although she thought they were safe enough where they were—which was just some random hallway—he continued to walk. So she continued to follow him. Maybe he wanted to give her one of those cool guns that shot stakes.

They came upon his classroom and he gestured for her to enter ahead of him, gentlemanlike. She smiled and did so. He was like a cute little teddy bear, and he was totally off limits. Jenna had him, and AJ knew that, so she shook off any thought of Alaric being—well Alaric.

"So what's up?" she asked as she sat on one of the desks. She noticed, confused, that he shut the door. And locked it. "Alaric?" she asked as he peered out the blinds, and then shut them completely. What was going on? Was he that paranoid about Klaus?

"Oh, AJ," Alaric said chidingly as he turned and began to approach her. He wasn't walking with his usual gait—it was very different. His voice was, too. It seemed to be… darker. "Young, naïve, AJ. It's so nice to finally be able to speak with you alone."

Suddenly the puzzle pieces fell together. With a loud, internal _clunk._ "Klaus," she stated, regarded him with an impassive face and caution. All she could think of was _Klaus, Klaus Klaus. Klaus is standing right in front of me. Buffy would be so proud of me—I have my stake. _Then she thought, _Oh, shoot. It's just a freaking stake! Buffy would _hate_ me._

"The one and only," Alaric—Klaus smiled wickedly. "How do you like the disguise? I thought it was simply genius. Who would think the history teacher was me?" He laughed darkly now, coming to stand directly in front of AJ.

_He must not have a thing for personal space, _AJ thought. She was trying to keep her breathing under control. She was trying to remain perfectly calm. She was surprised at how well she was doing.

"Yes, it was a good idea. I—I really had no clue," AJ said, thinking the last part out loud to herself with confusion. Normally, she had such strong intuition that it even told her what class to skip and which to go to. How did she not sense that Alaric had been Klaus. "How long?"

"A while," Klaus replied, still smiling that sinful smile. It looked strange on Alaric's face.

AJ nodded to herself. She had definitely been off her game, lately. She should have known it the moment she saw him that very first time she'd shown up to first hour early.

"Haven't you anything to say, Miss Echo?" Klaus began to circle her slowly, taking in every single one of her features. She was beautiful—that he couldn't deny. She had long, tanned legs, a thin and strong body. Her dark-chocolate brown reflected bits of red in the light, providing a stark contrast to her bright hazel eyes. Her lips looked delectable. But the most he saw was that she was not her strongest that night. She still hadn't healed from her wound, he knew that much. She couldn't heal quickly without the right... remedy. No Warrior could. He wouldn't tell her just what that was.

"Well, I'll say that I'm oddly impressed that you managed to bypass my intuition. But I'll also say that there's no chance in _hell _you can convince me to be on your side," she stated it matter-of-factly. She held her chin up, looking him levelly in the eyes as he stood before her again.

"Is that so?" he snootily inquired, bringing a hand up to caress the side of her face. Her skin was soft. He rubbed his thumb over it, returning her glare with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," she stated, trying to move away from his hand. He _really_ didn't respect personal space. But she wasn't successful. She moved off the side of the table and away from him.

"Hm," Klaus said, clasping both hands behind his back. "I truly beg to differ, AJ. You see, I think you can be persuaded. It may take time, it may take an immense amount of effort, but I think it'll happen." He winked at her.

"You're painfully wrong," AJ's voice strained. Suddenly with a full-force, the bad voice inside her head began speaking. Loudly. It wanted to be persuaded. It saw Klaus now, _finally,_ and it wanted to join him. But she shoved that voice into the darkest corner of her mind and focused on the good in her. She remembered the words Elijah once said to her. 'You are good, AJ. You're meant to protect Elena, but most of all, you're meant to be you. Just be you and nothing else.' At the end of day, she felt that she was good. That was truly what she was—_who_ she was. She would keep thinking that way. She would fight her darker side.

"Am I?" Alaric-Klaus began approaching her again, making her back away. Her face bore no emotion, but her voice had said enough. She was wavering.

"Go to hell, Klaus. Once the others find out you're here—"AJ stopped, for Klaus had gotten right in her face.

"Oh, they will, AJ. Just not yet. Unfortunately, you won't be able to tell them," he said menacingly. "I'm sorry for causing you more pain, but it's necessary. We'll speak again soon," he added, looking strangely thoughtful. "By then, I should be in my own body." He smiled wickedly again. And then he moved fast—not fast like vampire-fast, but fast for a human. He hit her hard in the stomach, exactly where the wound was. She cried out in pain, falling back to the floor and falling over several desks as she did so. Her head was swimming again, in the not-so-pleasant way. He'd just torn her stitches and maybe made the wound itself worse. He stood towering above her, a strange look on her face.

"My apologies, Warrior." Then he left and shut the door behind him as she still lay on the ground, trying to breathe correctly. That son-of-a-bitch!

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	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 23

AJ struggled to stand up, clutching at her stomach as she did so. She was angry—no she was _pissed_. The wound had just begun to heal nicely and he made it even worse! But she had to forget that for the moment—Elena was out there. She needed to get to Elena before Klaus did. She needed to warn her!

She held on to anything within reach as she began to painfully walk out of the classroom. But when she got to the door, she realized it was locked. And she was in no condition to even attempt to kick it down. She groaned. Then she looked behind her. All the classrooms had windows that tilted in and out, instead of opening up completely. But she'd have to make it work. She'd have to if she wanted to get to Elena in time.

She struggled back to the window. She stared at it a minute, contemplated just how she was going to get out. She thought her best bet was ducking under then standing up and climbing out. So she painfully bent down and got up under the window, then stood back up again. There was a slight breeze as the cool night air rustled her hair, making her shiver. She had to focus. She picked up one leg, trying to think of anything but the agonizing pain it was causing her, and placed it outside. She proceeded to do the same with the other leg, thankful for having such a high pain tolerance. She hadn't made a sound. As soon as she was outside, she began half-hobbling half-running towards the gym again. It wasn't that far away. She was thankful for wearing flats, too. And that her dress was crimson red. No one would notice that she was bleeding, somewhat profusely.

Once she entered the gym, she did get the odd glance every now again due to her posture, but other than that no one paid her any mind. She pushed through crowds and people dancing until she finally came across Caroline and Matt dancing slowly together.

"I'd hate to interrupt what looks to be such a fabulous moment for you two," AJ panted, holding a hand tightly to her wound, "But have either of you seen Elena? Or Bonnie or Stephen? Anyone?"

Caroline and Matt regarded her with concern, "AJ, what's wrong?"

"Have you seen them?" AJ said urgently. She_ needed _to find Elena. Now.

"Well, I thought I saw Alaric with Bonnie and Elena. They went through the hallway leading to the cafeteria," Caroline said, confused. As soon as the words left her mouth, AJ was off in the direction of the cafeteria. She ran into a few people on her way, probably looking like a mad-woman, but she didn't care. She just needed find Elena.

She pushed through the doors, seeing the school's trophy case ahead of her. She could hear yelling and screaming. Ignoring the pain entirely now, she ran to the screams. She rounded a corner and there, with tears rolling down her face, was Elena. AJ was confused—Elena was looking through the small glass windows on the closed doors that led to the cafeteria, Stephen was holding her up as she screamed over and over again. And then AJ made out what Elena was yelling. 'Bonnie.'

"What's happening?" AJ asked, looking at Damon demandingly as he stood behind Elena and Stephen, his face void of any emotion. Damon looked at her but said nothing.

AJ staggered over to the window, her hands on the door. Then she saw what was wrong. "What the hell! What's she doing in there? Damon? What the hell is she doing in there?" AJ's words were rushed as she took in the scene. There was Bonnie, obviously using as much magic as she had to fight. To fight _Klaus._ Well, Alaric, but AJ already knew it was truly Klaus. AJ pounded on the door, trying to get Bonnie's attention, trying to tell her friend to run.

"AJ it's Klaus—"

"I know!" she cut Damon off, "I know! I couldn't get here in time! Dammit, why is she in there? He'll kill her!" AJ cried, watching as her friend grew weaker and weaker. "Bonnie!" she screamed, the thought of losing her friend more agonizing than the physical pain she was in. She fell down on her knees, calling her name out again as she pounded on the door relentlessly. Damon grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. AJ struggled, twisted and turned, to get out of his stone grasp, but she couldn't. She let him support her weight as she watched Bonnie's impending death.

"Who let her do this?" AJ asked, her voice full of accusation. She just didn't know who to blame. Damon sighed. She turned on him, looking at him with wide eyes. "How could you? How could you let her do this if you knew she'd die, Damon?" She was shaking with sobs now. She couldn't lose Bonnie. She couldn't.

"AJ. It had to be done." That was all he said. That was all he could say. They'd understand soon. They would.

"Liar!" AJ yelled, pounding him in the chest. She watched as Bonnie looked back at her and Elena one last time, looking horrific, before she fell to the floor. Dead. AJ let out a cry, something deep and painful, and something she'd never heard before. She almost didn't recognize herself, that it was her who did it. She held on to Damon because she knew without his support she'd fall to the ground. She just sobbed and sobbed, each one wracking through her body in tremors. She heard Damon whispering comforting things in her ear, but she didn't have the sense to truly hear what he was saying. She didn't even care. The only thing she could think of was: _Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie._ In that instant, she forgot about the threat of Alaric-Klaus, she forgot about the daily need for Elijah back, she forgot about everything except the look in Bonnie's eyes before her friend died. It had been the strangest look—AJ couldn't decipher it. And by thinking of it continuously, she made herself cry even harder. Something with some sense in the back of her head told her that Elena was as much of a mess as she was.

Then she felt motion—Damon was picking her up, bridal style. She put her arms around his neck, holding on and squeezing her eyes shut. Large tears fell onto her face, getting it even wetter. He zoomed out to the parking lot and to her car, placing her easily in the passenger seat. Then he quickly moved to get into the driver's side. AJ figured that Stephen had done the same with Elena, and that they were going to go back to the boarding house. She cried still, the disturbing image replaying in her head over and over again. Damon kept giving her worried and anxious looks, but she ignored them. She just wanted to mourn.

Why did Bonnie have to die? Why did Damon allow her to sacrifice herself? AJ knew that she went up against Klaus willingly. She heard the others discussing it quite vocally, but in the end they all decided that Bonnie wasn't strong enough. That she would die. So they wouldn't do it. And yet, Damon and Bonnie went behind everyone's backs and did it anyway. Now Bonnie was dead. And for what? AJ felt a surge of anger tear through her body in that instant. Klaus wasn't dead. Not yet, anyway. But she suddenly wanted to kill him so passionately. She gripped her hands into fists, the anger building. Klaus killed her friend. He was going to die.

"AJ," Damon said softly, looking down at her from the open car door with a concerned look. She hadn't even realized that they arrived at Stephen and Damon's house. He held out a hand to her. She took it, meekly, as he pulled her out of the car carefully. Suddenly pain surged through her abdomen—she'd forgotten. Klaus re-damaged that. She wanted to scream with anger, but suppressed it. She just would have to deal with the constant reminder of Klaus.

Damon scrutinized her dress now, sniffing the air slightly. "You're bleeding," he stated, looking expectantly at her for an explanation.

She shrugged and didn't say anything. She just walked towards the large house before she lost all her energy and collapsed. Damon was right behind her, a hand on her back. Although he wanted to know more about how much more wounded she was, he would wait. He had to tell them first.

When they arrived in the living room, Elena was already there, still crying as she paced the room. Stephen was trying to calm her down, but she wouldn't have it. When she saw Damon, she completely lost it.

She came at him quickly, but Stephen held her back. "How could you?" she yelled, the tears forming in her eyes all over again, "How could you let her die?"

Damon sighed and looked around at the expectant, angry faces. He went over to the coffee table where the laptop was and opened it up. "It had to be done. He had to believe she was dead."

"What are you talking about? She _is_ dead!" Elena snapped.

Damon typed on the computer, and then pulled up a screen. He turned it towards AJ and Elena. "No she isn't. She found a spell that would bring her back. She'd not dead, you guys. See for yourself." He indicated to the screen that was loading.

AJ and Elena looked at him with wide eyes, and then turned all their attention to the screen. Suddenly, Bonnie's bright and cheery face popped up.

"Bonnie!" Both Elena and AJ shouted in unison, rushing over to the laptop and resting on their knees to look at their not-dead friend.

The girls all spoke to each other for a while, teary eyed because they were so happy to see one another. Bonnie explained to them what happened and how she was able to be revived. She told them that she was staying in the witches house, the one Elijah had been looking for before he was killed. AJ hadn't realized that the others found it. She felt even more out of the loop. But she refocused on Bonnie. It appeared that Jeremy was there with her, and that Elena was totally okay with that. Hm. AJ looked up and saw Damon trudging away, towards his bedroom. She told Bonnie again how happy she was to see her before she stood up to follow him.

"Damon," she called out, wiping away the tears on her face. He stopped in the hallway and turned to face her. His expression lacked any emotion. He was expecting to be yelled at again.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" AJ asked calmly. She still wasn't happy that the plan had been hidden from her and Elena, and seemingly Stephen, too, but she knew that Damon had to have some kind of reasoning for it. He always had his strange reasons.

"It had to look believable," he said, his voice as emotionless as his face. Although he was surprised she wasn't yelling at him. AJ nodded. She could see how that would work.

"Thank you, Damon," she said genuinely. She even managed to smile a little, although the pain she'd been ignoring for the past half-hour was returning full force.

"You're hurt," he stated again, as he had outside the car. He walked towards her.

She put her hands up. "It's nothing, really."

"AJ—"

"Damon, really. I'll look at it when I get home." Her voice was pleading. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"What happened?" he asked, genuinely concerned and curious.

She hesitated a moment. "Klaus."

He raised an eyebrow, expecting more of an explanation.

"He led me into Alaric's classroom. I thought, like everyone else, that he _was_ Alaric. But then he began locking the door… And well, I knew. He hit me in the stomach really hard. I'm pretty sure it tore open the stitches…"

Damon looked concerned again. "They'll have to be put back in."

AJ nodded, "I know," she sighed.

Damon looked thoughtful. He zoomed into his room and then back into the hallway, holding a long dress shirt. "Go put this on. I'll stitch you back up. And you're staying here, tonight. With Klaus as Alaric, he could easily get into the boarding house. I'm not taking any chances."

AJ wanted to protest, but she thought better of it. She understood why he wanted her to stay. And she'd rather _he_ stitch her back up than any damn nurses. "Okay," she agreed and went into the bathroom to change. As she closed the door behind her, Klaus's words returned to haunt her. 'You see, I think you can be persuaded. It may take time, it may take an immense amount of effort, but I think it'll happen.'

Her darker side was pleased.

**Tell me what you think!(:**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Only my very strange imagination.(:**

Chapter 24

AJ woke earlier than the others. Elena had stayed up late with Stephen, talking to Bonnie. AJ would have joined her, but after getting re-stitched up by Damon, she had been exhausted. She slept oddly soundly in one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor. As she emerged from the room fully clothed in the black silky skinny jeans, pink v-neck shirt, grey jacket, and black boots that Damon so very kindly went and brought back to her the previous night, she crept down the stairs quietly. She didn't want anyone to be awake just yet. She had plans. Every so often, she had to hold a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in pain from her worsened wound. Usually she could just ignore the pain—it was just what she did. But for some reason this was agonizing every time she twisted her body ever so slightly the wrong way. She suppressed a groan.

She loved her black boots. They were stylish motorcycle ones, and they were very good at walking quietly in. She made her way over to the stairs that led down to the cellar. To Elijah's body. As she crept down those stairs as well, she thought of how angry Elena and the others would be. They went to so much effort to put him down there and it would all be ruined because of AJ. But AJ knew they needed him. They were underestimating Klaus, and very well over estimating themselves. They would need Elijah. And she, for the same strange reason she hadn't quite figured out yet, needed him too. Maybe because he made her feel safe? She wasn't sure. She came upon the cell that contained his lifeless, grayed body. The dagger sticking out of his chest made her queasy, which was another strange thing. She was used to gore and blood. She shouldn't be affected that way. She shrugged it off and continued towards his body, getting on her knees as she hovered over him. Lying there, dead and cold, he didn't look like the Elijah she had known. Quite frankly, he looked scary.

She held her breath for a moment, thinking of what she was doing. She was reviving Elijah, the Original vampire no one trusted. No one, except for her. But would _he_ be angry? Yes, she supposed, he'd probably be furious. But she hoped he would forgive her. Although she had nothing to do with his death, she still felt responsible, somehow. She just should have known that Damon would have planned that. She shook her head, ashamed. She could have prevented it. She could have insisted on going to the dinner party. But she hadn't. And Elijah died because of that. She'd try and make it up to him, somehow.

AJ took a deep breath as she placed both of her hands carefully on the dagger. It was cold—it actually felt like a piece of ice as her fingers rested on it. She shivered. Then, without another moment's hesitation, she pulled the dagger out. And waited. She stared down at his body, confused. She had expected him to awaken immediately, but his dead, grey face remained. Since he had been dead for so long, would it take a while for him to wake up? She supposed that was a reasonable thought. It was a little inconvenient, though. She stood up and walked over to a cement wall and slid down it, trying to sit comfortably so that her wound wouldn't hurt as much. She kept the dagger in her hands. She wished he would wake soon because she knew the others would wake up, as well. Today they had planned to go through some of the books in the smaller upstairs library. AJ hoped that if they did get up before Elijah woke, that that would buy her some time. They wouldn't think twice about placing the dagger back in his chest again if they knew what she was doing.

She sighed as she sat there, her eyes glued to his inanimate face. She just wanted to see the color back in it; she wanted to see his liquid chocolate brown eyes again. She wanted these strange things that had nothing to do with her feeling of safety. She decided she'd finally let herself think of why that was, since it didn't look like he'd be waking up within the next minute or so. She kept putting off the feelings and the strange wants, choosing to not understand them. Choosing to wait. But now as she sat there, she was determined to figure it out. To figure herself out, really.

She had always felt safe around him. That much, she was certain of. But that alone had been an odd thing to her—_no one_ made her feel safe. Not ever. Not Stephen with his non-conformed vampire status; not Damon with his overly-conformed vampire status; not Elena, her very best friend; not Bonnie, one of the strongest witches in probably the world. She recalled that one moment when Jeremy made her feel safe in the slightest sense, but that had just been for a moment. She regarded him like a brother—a younger one, albeit, but a brother nonetheless. She figured that one moment was because he knew her secrets when others didn't. He'd be able to take care of her if something happened with her condition that the others didn't know about. So why did Elijah, an extremely powerful and dangerous Original, make her feel safe of all things? She felt totally clueless and yet like she should know at the same time. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but it didn't want her to grasp onto it. Not yet. She groaned. She hated it when her mind made things complicated.

She decided to go onto the next weird thing. When he had died, she'd cried as if she lost the most precious thing in the world to her. She'd cried like her heart had been broken over and over again, as if it had been stomped on and shattered. Damon had to carry her up to her room because she'd been so weak. Then she'd cried herself to sleep and the next day when she woke up, she felt empty. Grey and empty. And she chose to shrug off the feeling, as she always did. Again, maybe it had been because he was the one person that ever made her feel safe? Maybe her mind had been devastated by lack of security? She wasn't sure. She just knew that Elijah made her feel weird things. Maybe—

Suddenly out of the corners of her eyes, she saw something change in him. She whipped her head up and watched as the color slowly came back to his face and hands. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting and thinking, but she was so grateful that he was finally waking up. Grinning, she crawled over to his body. His eyes were still shut, so it seemed that his body was still coming back to life, but she was just as happy. He was finally back!

But the next moment, he zoomed up; awake, with fire in his eyes. He was staring right at _her_. AJ. Before he could do anything, he felt his voice catch in his throat. He held his hands up to his neck, trying to breathe, trying to not feel as if he were suffocating. What was happening? Why couldn't he breathe? He dismissed the thought of going after AJ for now and tried speeding out the door, but he ended up hitting the wall, again and again. He began to choke.

"Elijah?" AJ darted over to him, seeing him struggle. "Elijah what's—oh my gosh! You haven't been invited in!" The thought suddenly came to her. Stephen and Damon had recently put the estate in Elena's name, and she totally forgot about it! Of course it would make Elijah have this kind of reaction! "Elijah, you need to get outside!" Just after the words left her mouth, he was gone.

She raced up the stairs, spinning on her heel at the top to avoid hitting the wall but cried out in pain as her wound twisted the wrong way. She ignored it and continued on her way to the front door. She figured that'd be where he was. Unless he left already. But as she approached quickly, she saw him outside. And once he saw _her_, he tried charging back in, only to be stopped by the force that kept his uninvited self out. He looked beyond furious. She couldn't do anything but blink and stare at him. He was _alive_ again. He was _here_. She could barely contain the happiness she held within.

But then she remembered the others up stairs. He looked like he was about to say something, but she held a finger to her lips, and then pointed up stairs. She whispered, "They can hear."

He kept quiet but still glared at her. If looks could kill, she'd have died a thousand times already. He was livid. How dare they kill him? How dare she allow it to happen? And why couldn't he get through the door?

"Elijah, it's not what you think!" She whispered, seeing, now, how mad he was with _her_. But he was misunderstanding! She had nothing to do with his death; she hadn't _ever_ wanted him dead. She needed him. And the others hadn't trusted him, so they killed him. She'd have to try to get him to understand.

"Really, AJ? Then tell me, what should I think after being killed twice in one night? You told me to be careful. I'm assuming it was out of guilt." His bitter voice remained quiet but still held the great mass of anger he had.

She shook her head vigorously. "I can explain, Elijah. Please, just let me," she begged, bring all her guard down to show him how genuine she was.

He raised an eyebrow. "How do I know that I can trust you?" He leaned in close to the door, and if it hadn't been for the force that kept him out, they would have been nose to nose.

She looked at him sadly, and then she remembered that she held the dagger in her hands, still. She looked down at it, wondering if it would create the slim amount of trust she needed him to have. She squeezed her eyes shut and wished for it, something she hadn't done since she was a child. Then she looked back at him and slowly handed him the dagger. He regarded it with hesitance and confusion. But then he knew. The dagger was the metaphorical white flag, and she was surrendering it to him. Having it out of their possession would surely create a quarrel when the others found out, but she was still giving it to him. He took it out of her hand slowly, and then looked back to her.

"Go get in my car," she said quietly, hoping he would. "I'm going to go get you some blood."

She didn't wait to hear his response, fearful that it would be one still full of distrust and spite. She hurriedly walked down to the cellar again and to the icebox that contained the blood bags. She grabbed about five, and then chastised herself for not bringing her backpack down. Surely Damon or Stephen would smell the blood when she walked upstairs? She hoped not. She walked back up the stairs, glancing over her shoulder every two seconds, paranoid. They didn't appear menacingly, their eyes bloodshot and veined like she imagined. Well, that's always a good thing. She didn't have time to go up and get her stuff, since they would see her, but at least she had her keys in her pocket as well as her cell phone.

She opened and closed the front door as quietly as she could, then made her way over to her car. She hoped he was in there. As she opened the driver's door, she saw him in the passenger side waiting for her, however impatiently. But as soon as he saw her, he masked his impatience. She handed him the blood bags.

He nodded at her and began drinking them without a thank you. He wanted an explanation.

She started the car and quickly went down the drive, aware that whenever her car started it could be heard from quite a distance away. Elena and the others would know, now.

"Elijah," she said desperately, "I didn't know they were going to do that to you," she glanced over at him, her eyes full of sadness, "You have to believe me."

He studied her as he drank the cold, unpleasant blood. She seemed to be frantic. He thought about what had happened, what she had said to him. 'Be careful.' He had trusted her when she said that. He had known, then, that she wouldn't be in on whatever Damon had planned. He had known that Damon had definitely planned something. But could he still trust her? Did he want to? The second question was answered with a definite 'yes', inside of him. He wanted to trust her. He just didn't know if he should. Especially since he wanted to.

"How long has it been?" Elijah asked, deciding to ignore her trust in question with something he needed to know. A day? More than a day?

AJ hesitated. This was the part she wanted to postpone.

**What are your thoughts?(:**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 25

"How long, AJ," he demanded. Suddenly he didn't feel as if it had only been a day or two.

"A couple of weeks," she stated, trying to keep any evidence of emotion out of it. She failed. She knew she sounded sad and miserable.

He said nothing as he absorbed the information. Weeks? _Weeks?_ He had to physically refrain himself from breaking the door off the car or smashing in the dashboard. "Weeks," he repeated, strained. How could she have let him remain dead for weeks? It was yet another question he had to add to the list labeled 'AJs Trust.'

She sighed. "Elijah, I'm so sorry. I really am. I should have revived you sooner," her voice was glum and depressing. She sure _sounded_ sorry. She hoped he understood that. She wished he'd understand.

"Why didn't you?" He sounded borderline accusing. Why would she have allowed the only true person who could keep her safe to remain dead? How could she have kept herself safe for so long? Did she not want him around? That couldn't be so, she had revived him today, hadn't she?

"Because," AJ whispered, unwanted tears brimming in her eyes, "They didn't trust you. They… they said that you were going to allow Elena to be sacrificed. But I didn't believe that. I didn't want to, at least. And so much has been going on… They've kept an eye on me, too. They didn't want me going near your body. But you won't let Elena die, will you? You have to have some kind of plan so she doesn't die, right?" She looked at him, hopeful.

He thought again. She hadn't revived him because the others had been watching her, expecting her to do so. How had she gotten away with it, today? And she seemed to have so much faith in him, to be good, to do the right thing. Where did that come from? He rubbed at his eyes before he opened another blood bag to drain. She was forever a mystery.

"I have—_had_ plans to ensure her survival. Now that it's been so long, I'll have to see what I can do. Or if I even want to do anything," he said bitterly.

AJ understood, but wished she hadn't. Elena had betrayed him, as well as Stephen and Damon. What did he owe them? She sighed, wiping away the moisture that had formed in her eyes. She knew he saw, but she didn't care. She pretended as if they were nothing. They arrived at the boarding house, then. AJ thought it was the best place to get Elijah a new suit—a new tenant arrived, who was only staying for a few days, and he had nearly as nice as suits as Elijah did. She told him this quickly, and where to find them. He disappeared for a few minutes, and then reappeared in new attire. He looked good. The man who the suit belonged to was very nice, so she felt a little guilty for letting Elijah steal one. They definitely weren't cheap.

AJ started driving again, this time to the little waterfall so that they could talk. Elena and the others didn't know about that place, so they wouldn't be able to find them there. The ride was silent as both AJ and Elijah thought about what was happening, though Elijah knew much less. He was very curious, but he could see AJ was deep in thought, possibly debating with herself as she seemed to do a lot. Well, at least she did weeks ago, before he was dead for so long. He was still bitter about that.

They arrived at the waterfall, and Elijah wasn't surprised that that was where she wanted to talk. It seemed this was a haven of hers, of some sort. She got out without saying anything and walked towards where the sound of the water was coming from. There was just barely a path. She went and sat on a large rock and pulled her knees up to her chest. She closed her eyes and listened to the peaceful sound, appreciating it. She was anticipating him to start yelling and demanding answers. He didn't. She opened her eyes to see him next to her, watching her. She was surprised but she didn't show it.

"Tell me what's happened since I was killed," Elijah said. It wasn't so much of a demand, but AJ could detect just the tiniest hint of it in his voice.

She told him. She started with how she found out about his death, even if it was somewhat irrelevant. She wanted him to know that she grieved for him, that he could trust her. But would he find her grievance for him silly? She wasn't sure. She continued to tell him about Katherine and how she was released and wanted to help them, then disappeared. Stephen and Damon now felt that Klaus had her. She told him about Alaric and how he seemed normal up until Elena made her go to the Seventies Dance and it was really Klaus. He was surprised to hear about Bonnie and what she did, how she was still alive, and how much power she had. She left out the part about Luka and Jonas. And the part when Klaus spoke to her. He wouldn't be happy. She wasn't really sure how to tell him about it.

He scrutinized her as she told her story. He listened to her steady heart beat, the way her voice would change and waver on occasion but was completely genuine. The long yet very short pause she made in between telling him about Katherine and then Klaus. She was leaving something out. And he saw the way, every so often, she would hold a hand to her abdomen, gently prodding something there. She seemed to be refraining from telling him several things. But he could smell the blood. He had feared this.

"You're hurt," he stated, looking now at where her hand hovered over where he presumed the wound was.

She looked away from him. "I'm fine." In truth, the wound began to sting pretty bad a while ago. She needed a new bandage and some more painkillers.

"No you aren't," he said. "AJ. Look at me."

It was the first time his voice sounded gentle since he woke. She reluctantly turned and looked into his eyes. The liquid chocolate ones she'd wanted to see for so long.

"What's happened to you?" he asked, still gently as he indicated her wound.

She kept her mouth stubbornly shut and only looked at him with a mask of void emotion.

"AJ," he prodded, looking at her puzzled, "What's happened? Who hurt you?" At the mere _thought _of someone hurting her, a surge of anger so strong went through him that he gripped his hands into fists to keep from smashing the large rock they were sitting on. The moment he found out who hurt her, he'd rip their hearts out. No, that was too quick. He'd rip their veins out, slowly. "Tell me," he demanded, still gently. AJ didn't know how someone could demand something, but do it kindly. It seemed as though Elijah was perfect at it, though.

She bit her lip, looking at the waterfall. She could see the anger building up inside of him, but she wasn't sure why he'd be so mad that someone hurt her. Unless he was mad that he hadn't been able to prevent it or something like that, since that was why he made a deal with her in the first place. Well, that, and so that Klaus wouldn't get anywhere near her. She sighed. She didn't want to have to tell him that both of the things he'd been there to prevent happened after he was killed. And that his witches were dead. She only now remembered that Jonas had been his witch. Fabulous.

"AJ, if you don't tell me now, there will be bitter consequences. Was it Lucas?" he asked suddenly. He zoomed to his feet. If the boy had indeed found AJ and hurt her again, he wouldn't live to see another day.

"No, Elijah, it wasn't!" AJ stood up quickly to calm him down, but she only ended up hurting herself more. She cried out in pain as her stitches tugged against her skin excruciatingly, and bent down a little as she held onto her wound. She breathed in haggardly.

Elijah's anger flared more when he saw how much pain she was in, but he pushed it aside. He gently took hold of her forearms to hold her steady as she caught her breath.

"Then who was it? What did they do to you?" The questions rushed out of his mouth. He needed to know _now. _He made sure his hold on her arms didn't reflect what he was feeling. He kept it gentle and soft.

"Why is it so important?" She nearly shouted, and then brought her voice down, "It's just a stupid wound, and it'll heal. It's nothing to worry about." She didn't like it when people fret over her injuries, and she didn't get why he was. She thought Originals weren't supposed to care. She realized, then, how unfair she was being. He was showing that he cared. He was making sure she stayed steady on her feet. She should be kinder, more appreciative. She was surprised, actually. But she brushed that off. And she brushed off thinking about how comforting his touch was.

His mouth settled into a grim line as he looked at her. "It's a big deal to me," he said quietly. "Please tell me, AJ."

She looked up into his eyes, catching the way he was looking at her. This was the Elijah she knew before the others killed him, this was the kinder Elijah. The seemingly caring one. She sighed. "Can we sit?" she asked, feeling tired suddenly, "It's a long story, and you aren't going to like any of it."

He nodded. He helped her sit down and then sat next to her again. He waited patiently for her to start.

"After you were killed," she began, not daring to look at him, choosing instead to look at the shimmering water, "Jonas and Luka tried to revive you. They did some sort of spell that must have made Luka invisible. Katherine had been there, so she tried to stop him but he put a stake in her stomach. Then Damon showed up." She sighed. This part made her sad. "He grabbed a flamethrower and basically roasted Luka until he was dead, then told Stephen to see what was happening at the witches place. When Stephen got there… Jonas was hysterical. He was going to go after Elena." AJ swallowed hard. She hadn't glanced up at him yet but she could imagine how angry he must be. "Elena had been at the Grille, so Stephen got there as soon as he could and I followed in my car. I didn't want him to get to her. But as I tried to distract him as Stephen got Elena out… he stabbed me. I was lucky someone called an ambulance." She dared to peek up at him now. He seemed to be trying to stay calm, but he was breathing hard. His face was red with anger.

"And what of Jonas?" he asked, clenching his fists.

"He's dead. Katherine killed him."

Elijah nodded. Although the witch had been very important for him to stop Klaus, he probably would have killed the man anyway, after finding this out. But she was still leaving something out and he knew it. Her wound should have been halfway healed by now. "What else aren't you telling me?"

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, rubbing at them. "It's… well, it's Klaus," she said reluctantly. This would be the worst part to tell him.

"What about Klaus?" Elijah asked through clenched teeth.

"Elijah, before I go on, just know—"

"What about Klaus?" Elijah demanded.

She suppressed a groan. She knew this would suck. "At the dance… Well who I believed at the time to be Alaric led me to his classroom… As soon as he began locking the door, I knew something wasn't right. Then I knew it was truly Klaus."

"Klaus was alone with you?" He asked, truly pissed.

"Not for very long," AJ said, rubbing her covered arms up and down. It'd suddenly gotten a little chilly out and her jacket wasn't of much help.

"What happened? What did he say to you?"

"He said that with time he could convince me to help him. I told him to go to hell. And when I mentioned telling the others that he was possessing Alaric's body… well let's just say he hit me pretty hard where Jonas stabbed me. It reopened the injury and made it worse…"

Elijah growled but did only that. He didn't want to frighten her. But he would make sure Klaus paid for what he did to her. And he would make sure no one harmed her, not again. Whatever trust he thought he lost in her had been fully restored. And how could that be possible? The only word that popped in his head was enigma. And he was growing tired of not being able to find all the pieces to the puzzle. But he would. Soon, he would.

"I have a question…" AJ's voice caught his attention again.

"Yes?" He liked that she hadn't changed really at all since he'd last seen her, weeks ago. She always had questions.

"When I was in the hospital, Damon gave me some blood to heal me. It didn't work. Why do you think that is?" she asked, still puzzled over that. It had bothered her every day since.

A wash of envy came over him at the thought of _Damon_ giving her blood, but he controlled it. He should have said something about this sooner. "Only the blood of an Original vampire can heal the Warrior."

**Tell me what you think and check out the poll about Klaus and Elijah on my profile!(-:**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 26

AJ stared at him, her mouth open. She tried to say something, and then stopped, again. Finally, she found her words. "You're serious? Only the blood of an _Original_ can heal me?"

Elijah nodded, surprised that she was so, well, surprised.

And she was, completely. Why hadn't Klaus healed her, then? He could have tried to convince her to be on his side in that way. But he didn't, and that confused her.

"So it's like this for every Warrior?" AJ asked. She was also relieved that there wasn't something wrong with her. That was an idea that popped into her head every time she dwelled on why Damon's blood didn't work.

"Yes, from what I heard long ago from Klaus. I'm surprised he didn't try to offer you his blood as a way of persuasion. He'd said once that he tried it for another Warrior," Elijah said, thinking back to when he and Klaus had been on the same side. He was glad he was no longer on that side. He wouldn't have met AJ. Well, he would've, he just probably wouldn't know her in the way he did now.

"Yeah, me too. That's why I'm so shocked. He made the wound _worse_ rather than _better_," AJ snorted, "That's the way to win my heart," she said sarcastically.

Elijah looked at her, thoughtful. She spoke of her heart in relation to Klaus. What did that mean? Has she still left something out about when he spoke to her? Was he attracted to her, or she to him? Why was he thinking these strange thoughts? Why did she care who her attention was focused on? He already had an answer for the last two questions. He just hadn't admitted it out loud yet. Maybe he never would. Maybe he shouldn't. He wasn't sure.

"What happened to the Warrior he offered his blood to?" AJ asked, suddenly curious. Had they been tempted or had they been completely good?

Elijah's face grew dark and he slowly shook his head. "You don't want to know that story, AJ."

Now she was even more curious, but not in the way she had been before. She was curious because she was a little panicked. "What happened to the Warrior, Elijah?" she asked but her voice held a demand in it. Had Klaus killed them? Tortured them? Both? Or something much, much worse?

"AJ please," Elijah said as he gave her a pleading look, "I'd rather you not know."

She huffed. "Fine." She knew he was truly doing her a favor and sparing her more nightmares, but she still wanted to know. She let it drop.

He looked to where she still softly cradled her wound, holding her hand against it tenderly. "AJ, I'd like to offer you my blood. If you accept, you'll be healed in no time," he suggested. He wasn't sure of what she would think.

She looked at him and smiled. "You'd do that?"

He smiled very slightly back. "Of course."

She was happy, but then she looked very reluctant. "I've never really drank vampire blood before. Well, except for that one time in the hospital," she shuddered, "It was… odd."

He regarded her curiously. "Are you saying no?"

She shook her head and smiled again, "No, I'm saying yes, please. It was just strange the last time. Damon's blood was… weird."

He nodded. He wasn't all that happy that Damon tried to give her his blood, but he didn't care. It was _Elijah's_ blood that would heal her, not Damon's. He folded up one of the sleeves on his suit to reveal his wrist. He bit into it without hesitation and held it out for her. She glanced at it with hesitance, but put both one of her small hands on his forearm and the other in his drastically larger palm. He found that he liked the feeling of her soft, warm hand resting in his own. Then she brought his wrist up to her mouth and tasted his blood. It was completely different than Damon's in every way. It was rich and sweet, it was very, very _good._ She was surprised that _blood_ of all things could taste so good; she was surprised that she liked it. But she did, and so she sucked at the blood, her eyes closed, until he pulled his arm gently away. Her eyes opened instantly and she watched as his wound closed within seconds and he rolled his sleeve back down. Then she put a hand to her abdomen, to where her wound once had been.

Her eyebrows rose. "It's completely gone," she said, the shock in her voice. She didn't realize that it would be _that_ quick.

"Yes, Original blood is the strongest."

She beamed at him, extremely happy that she no longer had to worry about being defenseless. And _he _was here now, too. She was in fact very happy. "Thank you, Elijah."

He nodded and gave her a half-smile. "You're very welcome."

AJ's cell phone rang just then. She frowned, dreading to see who it was. Pulling it out of her pocket, she checked caller ID, something she noted to herself that she should do more often. It was Elena. She gave Elijah a sarcastic look that said 'this should be fun.'

"Elena," AJ answered, careful to keep emotions out of her voice. She wasn't sure if Elena was just asking where she was or if her best friend knew that she had awakened the Original.

"AJ," Elena replied, angry. "Where are you? Where is he?" Ah. So they knew.

"Not anywhere where we can be found, but we're safe," AJ answered.

"_Safe? _ You aren't safe with him, AJ! He's playing you!" Elena shouted.

AJ snorted unladylike, "Elena when will you see that we're all out of options? He's not playing me, he's _protecting _me. And you, and all of our friends. He had a plan to keep you alive, Elena."

Elena said nothing for a moment. "He's lying," she said suddenly, sounding doubtful of even herself.

"No, he isn't," AJ said gently. "Now just give me time to talk to him, okay? I'm fine. I'm actually better than I was before, thanks to him. Everything else will be fine, too." AJ didn't bother to hear Elena's response. She hung up. She'd explain to her best friend the whole only-Original-blood-can-heal-the-Warrior thing later.

Elijah looked at AJ curiously. "You have a lot of faith in me."

AJ returned his look. "Yes, well, it surprises me, too. But you do so much for me. I mean, you just gave me your _blood_ so I could heal. I think that calls for some trust." After she said that, she looked down sheepishly. She meant for her to trust him, and she knew he understood that. But she still didn't know if he trusted her again or not.

"You had nothing to do with my death," Elijah stated to clarify he understood that now. He could easily read her body language.

Even though it was a statement, not a question, she still felt the need to shake her head. "No. I knew nothing of it. I promise." She looked him in the eyes.

He looked at her for a while, watching the way the gold specks in her eyes sparkled in the sun. It could be entrancing. "I trust you."

After hearing those words, she closed her eyes and smiled. She had been so scared that he would say the opposite, that he'd leave angrily and want nothing to do with her. But he trusted her again. Everything between them was repaired. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. "Thank you," she whispered as she looked at him.

He couldn't restrain himself. He reached out and ghosted his fingers over the side of her face, feeling how soft her skin was. He looked at the way her lips were just the perfect shade of pink, the way her nose wasn't the usual ski-slope kind that many girls had, it was exotic like the rest of her, suiting her perfectly. And then there were her eyes. They were such an assortment of colors for being hazel—having colors from rich browns and bright greens to deep grays and stark gold. They were beautiful. And they were looking at him with surprise and just a hint of delight.

"I should be thanking you," he said softly, slowly and reluctantly bringing his hand back. She smiled up at him sweetly but said nothing. Neither of them was sure of what just occurred between them, but they found they rather liked it.

**What do you think of the story? What do you think of Elijah and AJ? Check out the poll on my profile!(:**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

Chapter 27

AJ fell hard to the floor, her mind instantly knowing that she'd have a huge bruise. She stopped herself from crying out with help from the adrenaline that was running through her body, but scrambled to look for the evidence of her preys death. Frantically, her eyes searched the room until she saw it, lying lifeless a few feet away from her. She breathes a sigh of relief. She successfully killed the spider that'd been freaking her out all afternoon. But her arm managed to hit the fan that was on high as she tried. She rubbed at her arm gently, realizing that it would probably bruise a little bit as well. It didn't hurt nearly as much as she once anticipated it to.

It was a day after she woke Elijah, and she was feeling absolutely fantastic. It was almost as if his blood was some kind of drug—she felt like a million bucks. Maybe it was because she didn't have to work so hard to hide the pain she felt anymore. She wasn't really sure.

She walked briskly over to her desk and grabbed a tissue, then went to pick up the arachnid. She held it far away from her body until she found the nearest wastebasket. She disliked spiders as much as she disliked nurses. After she accomplished her mission of destroying the evidence of the body, she realized she was being watched.

Damon was standing in the corner of her room, looking highly amused. "Are you sure it's dead?" he mocked, laughing as she glared at him. He couldn't understand why she totally went all James Bond on a poor spider. The creature wasn't hurting her any. Women.

She put a hand on her hip. "When you were human, I bet you didn't like bugs," she said as she walked over to her closet to put clothes away. Mrs. Flowers didn't like it when she forgot to.

"Actually I didn't think they were so bad. I sure never got hit with a fan and _then_ fell to the floor just to kill one. But, back then, we didn't have fans," he winked at her, laughing again.

"Whatever," she said as she continued to put clothes on hangers. She was surprised he was being nice to her, after what she did yesterday, but she didn't like it when people knew about her one irrational phobia. She blamed her childhood friend for making her watch _Eight Legged Freaks_ when she was very young.

"Is it normal for the Warrior to be afraid of spiders?" Damon asked, still teasing. Then he frowned as he truly looked at her. She stopped what she was doing, seeing his face. _Uh oh,_ she thought. She was hoping to postpone this conversation until they could all talk—Stephen, Elena, Bonnie, and Damon. But it seemed she wouldn't get to.

"You wound… AJ what's happened to your wound?" Damon asked. He moved at lightning speed to stand in front of her when he saw her defiantly close her mouth. "Tell me." He crossed his arms.

She looked up at his grim face. Well, she might as well just say it. She was pretty sure there was no way going about easing into it. "Elijah healed me."

Damon gawked. "Elijah healed you? How? Vampire blood doesn't work."

AJ sighed and shook her head. "Only _Original_ vampire blood works. I was surprised, too."

Damon muttered something under his breath, looking extremely unhappy. "Why'd you resurrect him? We were doing fine without him, AJ. We didn't have to worry about not _trusting_ anyone."

AJ nearly threw the hanger in her hands to the floor, that was how angry she was with his last remark. She got into his face the way he got into hers, although without the vampire speed. "Do you really want to talk about _trust_ Damon? Because I _trusted_ you to not kill him! And you went behind my back and did! So you're one to talk about _trust_," she said bitterly. She turned on her heel and put the hanger in the closet.

"We had to kill him since you had no idea what you were doing, AJ! He's an _Original_. Why would he really want to help us?" Damon yelled back. He was tired of her not seeing Elijah the way he _should_ be seen, which was a fraud and a liar. A dangerous one.

AJ groaned. "He doesn't want Klaus to break the curse! And neither do we, so that's why he's helping us, Damon! How can you not see that?"

"The only thing I see is you falling head over heels for the guy, and not realizing all the mistakes you're making along the way," Damon said quietly.

AJ gaped at him. Head over heels? As in _love?_ _Really?_ Was he high? Could vampires _get_ high? AJ seriously pondered that as she stared at Damon. It would explain the many strange and exaggerated expressions he'd have when he wasn't happy. Or when he was just being himself."What are you talking about?" she asked incredulously.

Damon snorted, rudely, "I'm talking about the way you look at him, or he looks at you. It's so freaking obvious AJ. I see you haven't even admitted it to yourself yet," he looked at her with pity.

She glared at him, "That's because there's nothing to admit. Elijah's just protecting me, and I think he's nice. That's all. There's nothing going on between us," she said with finality. And, of course, that was when a smidge of doubt began voicing its presence in AJ's head. Maybe a little bit more than a smidge.

"Whatever, AJ. I hope you don't regret bringing him back. We're all counting on your decisions," Damon said, shaking his head at her. And then he was gone.

And she was left to think about what he'd said—about her having _feelings_ for Elijah. Could it be possible? Was that what all the strange emotions and wants were? Because… she liked him?

She went to plop down on her bed to remain deep in thought, her eyes unfocused.

Yes, Elijah was very, very handsome. Okay, beyond handsome. Yes, he had an amazing smile, when he did so choose to grace her with it. Yes, she found his presence to be… a number of things. Enthralling, secure, comforting, happy, amusing, and so on. So many things. But did that really mean that she could like him even a little bit? Well… _didn't _that mean she could like him even a little bit? That brought her to a very big conclusion: probably.

"AJ," Mrs. Flowers said as she walked into AJ's room, interrupting her thoughts, "Dear, would you mind helping me move some things outside? I'm afraid they're much too heavy for me." Mrs. Flowers laughed sweetly.

"Yes, of course," AJ said automatically. She never minded helping out Mrs. Flowers. And she was very open to a distraction at the moment. Thinking of Elijah in _that_ way was hurting her head.

After moving a few benches and things around outside for Mrs. Flowers as well as helping out with some gardening, it was well into the night. AJ was exhausted from the physical labor, but happy that she could do it, nonetheless. Just before she was about to get into bed, the last person she expected to see that night arrived in her room, silently. It took her a moment to realize he was there.

"Elijah?" she asked, her voice slightly pitchy. She had hoped she wouldn't have to think about what Damon insinuated anymore. Or the questionable conclusion she came to earlier that day. She was wrong.

"I've been thinking," he said as he looked out her window, his arms crossed and his mouth set in a grim line as if standing in her room unannounced was an everyday thing. When she thought about it she realized that it used to be. And then she studied him, her eyes wandering his face. Even looking a little unhappy, he looked _good_. AJ chastised herself. She needed to focus.

"About what?" She asked, curious about whatever was making him unhappy.

"It's not safe for you to stay here, AJ," he turned to look at her. He was surprised to see her in short shorts and a t-shirt. They weren't loose. Not in the least.

"What are you talking about?" AJ crossed her arms and frowned. It was safe at the boarding house. Heck, it was her _home._

Elijah sighed, "I'm afraid that Mrs. Flowers will invite anyone with a charming smile into the house. It's not safe for you to stay here," he repeated, hoping she'd understand.

AJ frowned. "Elijah, if I just talk to her I'm sure she'd understand to be more cautious," AJ said, hoping with a passion that she'd be able to stay. Where else was she supposed to go?

Elijah shook his head. "I still don't think its safe enough. Klaus is here, now. He'll want to speak with you, and I'm sure he'll come here to do most of it. I don't want you staying here." He looked at her sadly. He could see that she didn't want to leave what had come to be a sort of home for her. He wondered what her true home was like. What was her family like? Were they as stubborn and headstrong as she was? It'd explain a lot.

AJ huffed. "Then where do you suggest I stay?" she asked dubious. AJ knew that Klaus was definitely here… she just didn't know what he looked like or anything important like that. He de-possessed an unhappy Alaric the moment he thought Bonnie was dead.

"With me," Elijah shrugged, looking at her as if it were an obvious decision.

She gaped at him. "With you? You… want me to stay with you?" She was shocked. Elijah was asking her to _live_ with him—for safety purposes, of course. She hadn't ever really thought about where he lived, either. Some part of her always pictured the cemetery or someplace like it when she wondered where Elijah would be when he wasn't with her. And she always thought about coffins, even though she knew Damon and Stephen, or any other vampire she knew didn't sleep in one. It _was_ the typical stereotype of a vampire, so the stereotype had to come from someplace, didn't it? She internally shrugged.

"Yes. Unless that would be uncomfortable for you. But I assure you that my home is quite accommodating," Elijah said, trying to be persuasive. He wasn't really sure how to sell the idea of her, a teenage Warrior, to live with him, effectively. How did one go about doing that? And of course he was doing it for her safety. That was the main reason, at least.

"I—I don't know what to say. It's a very kind offer, but, well—"She stopped, truly unsure of what to say. She couldn't get past the idea of him wanting her to stay with him. And then she couldn't stop thinking about what Damon had said.

"Well?" he asked patiently. He had known she wouldn't immediately agree and pack up her things. He'd expected far from it, being who she is.

"Well… Can I think about it? I mean it's a lot to decide in just a few minutes…" AJ trailed off. Her head was swimming with a thousand thoughts. Some thoughts of Elijah. Some of where he lived. Some of what could happen if she lived _with_ him. She wanted those thoughts to stop. They were… odd. They weren't something she typically thought. Maybe she was going crazy? Eh. Who knew?

Elijah nodded, answering her question. "Yes, you may think about it, but not for too long. I'm afraid we don't have a lot of time. There is also something else we must discuss in the matter of the curse. Once you make your decision, then we can." He looked down at the watch on his wrist, "I must be going. Call me if you need anything." He gave her one last long look before he took off. He hoped she'd agree.

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	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter28

It was a Saturday afternoon, and a beautiful one, too. AJ had her headphones on and her iPod playing as she sprang down the stairs. She wanted to go for a run to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Since she wasn't expecting any guests or to see anyone other than the older women who lived with her, she was clad in short black and red running shorts and a red sports bra that left plenty of her toned stomach and back exposed.

AJ spotted Mrs. Flowers in the kitchen and was just about to tell her she was leaving when a loud knock sounded at the front door. AJ quickly put her headphones around her neck and grabbed one of her athletic jackets of the coat rack nearby, covering up with it. Then she went to answer the door.

And was left staring with her mouth open. Before her was a young man, his dark brown hair cropped nicely on his head and his bright green eyes taking her in with happiness. His smile was dazzling and he was dressed in a simple green polo and distressed denims. He was a lot more built than the last time she'd seen him.

"AJ, hey. I'm glad I caught you. I hope this isn't a bad time—"

"Lucas?" she finally managed to say, her voice came out strangled. What the hell was he doing _here?_ It sure was the worst freaking time he could show up! What if Elijah suddenly came over to the house? Or Jeremy? They were the only two who knew what Lucas did to her, but she knew it wouldn't end well either way. More so if Elijah showed up. "How—how did you find me?"

He looked sheepish and averted his eyes to his shoes. "It's a long, kind of weird story. May I come in?"

"Uhm, I don't know if that's such a good idea," AJ said, feeling very awkward and slightly annoyed. Well, more than annoyed. She hadn't spoken to or seen Lucas in months. She didn't want to talk to him. Seeing him stressed her out. What should she do? Just send him away?

"AJ please? There are some things I wanted to say to you… Apologies I should've made a long time ago," he said, his voice begging for her to hear him out.

"Why now?" she asked, gaining her strong demeanor back as she crossed her arms. She was so not in the mood for this. He was ruining her sunny Saturday.

"AJ, would you please just let me in? Or we can go somewhere else. I just want to talk," he said quietly. He met her strong stare with a soft one. "I know I don't really have much of a right to talk to you, but please just hear me out."

"Fine," she huffed. "We can talk on the porch," she said bitterly as she stepped over the threshold of the doorway and shut the door behind her. No way in hell was she letting him inside.

He nodded, happy she agreed, "Okay."

She made her way over to the set of wicker chairs that sat upon the large porch. She took a seat in one and indicated for him to take the seat opposite of her. It was the farthest one away. Yes, she was going to be like that.

He sat down and clasped his hands together in front of him. He looked nervous. It was quiet—she decided that since he was the one who somehow tracked her down and wanted to talk to her, then he'd have to speak first. She was being stubborn, and he soon caught on to that.

He began. "AJ… What I did to you, it was inexcusable. It was terrible of me, and I'm so sorry," he said miserably, "You were fifteen years old, and I—I did that! Oh gosh, AJ, you don't know how long I've regretted it. Every single day since you left. Every day." His head was held down in shame and there was a deep frown on his face. If she didn't know better, she would've thought he'd start crying.

"Yes, I was fifteen and naïve. I thought I could depend on you, be protected by you, and all that bullshit. But I've left it in my past, Lucas. I wish you would have done the same," she said sourly. She just didn't want to see him. Period. And yet there he was, sitting right in front of her. She prayed Elijah wouldn't show up. She wanted Lucas gone, but not _dead._ And she was pretty sure Mrs. Flowers would be upset if there was blood on the porch.

He shook his head with fierceness, "No, I needed to apologize. I _need _you to know how sorry I am. I'm not like that anymore, AJ, I swear. Once you left town, it was like I woke up and saw what I was doing and just how wrong it was. I swore I'd never be that person again." As if that made a difference.

"Good for you Lucas. Now are you finished?" she looked at the watch/heart rate monitor on her wrist, "I'd really like to run before it gets too hot out."

He looked at her sadly, studying just how much she'd grown up within the few years she'd been gone. "Yes, I'm finished. I'm staying in town one more night, since it took so long to get here, and then I'm leaving in the morning. I wish—I wish things could be the way they were before I messed up, AJ. I wish we could still be together." He looked at her with complete regret and just a hint of hope.

She just stared at him blankly, giving nothing away. "I don't." She wished he wasn't staying another night. She wished he'd just go home and get out of Mystic Falls before Death found him. Death being either Elijah or Klaus, or some other vampire she knew who'd learn of what he did to her. Not that she thought Klaus would care much, but she was sure he'd use him against her somehow. She internally sighed.

She stood up and took her jacket off, laying it on the back of the chair, and without another glance back she walked down the porch and off onto a nature trail behind the house to begin her jog. Jogging always cleared her head, making it peaceful and serene for just a little while. She could easily forget the things going on in her life with a good song on and her heart pumping. So she did just that. She needed to, after not being able to for so long after Jonas stabbed her. That was the main reason she'd been angry at Jonas, but other than that (and the fact he wanted to kill Elena) she felt that it was just water under the bridge. Besides, he was dead. There wasn't any use in holding a grudge against a dead guy unless you could see ghosts. She was thankful she couldn't. She cleared her mind of all the tangent thoughts it was taking and focused on her jog. She started off at a nice speed, and then increased it steadily until she was sprinting. She knew the trails bends and curves well, so easily ran fast without any problems.

Until someone stepped out of the forest and right onto the middle of the trail. Ominous much? She halted immediately, skidding to a stop on leaves and brush three feet away from him, panting. The first thought she had was that it was freaking fantastic that someone was interrupting her jog _again._ The second thought she had was that she should really pay attention to the warning bells going off inside her head.

He was staring at her, his dark blue eyes boring into her own. He looked at her like he knew her. She studied the rest of him, trying to figure out if she did, indeed, know this man as she stayed a safe distance away. He was tall, several inches taller than her, and he had fair skin and short, dirty blonde curly hair. He had perfect lips, especially for a guy, and they were pulled up into a smirk. The alarms were still going off in her head. _Well_, she thought, _this probably isn't a good thing. Fantastic. _The only thing that seemed remotely familiar to her was the strange glimmer in his eyes.

"Do I know you?" she asked cautiously, suddenly feeling very bare with just her sports bra and shorts on. She wished she had kept her jacket.

He smirked even more, his eyes slightly narrowed at her. "Oh, I believe we've met before, AJ." He let his eyes trail up and down her body, taking her in blatantly.

She repressed a shudder at the way he was looking at her. Why did his accent sound so familiar? "I think I would have remembered meeting you," she said, the wariness still in her voice. And she wouldn't have remembered him because he looked very… well, honestly, he was extremely handsome. And his posture said he knew it. But she would have remembered because his voice…

He laughed, not menacingly, not happily, just a laugh. "I believe I was wearing your history teacher at the time."

Her eyes went wide. Klaus. _This_ was Klaus. Or, at least, another person he was possessing. But she had a very strong feeling that this was truly him.

"Klaus," she was careful with her words, "I'd say it's good to see you, but the last time I did you left me with a wound worse than what it had originally been, and you killed my best friend." She internally reprimanded herself for mentioning the wound. Surely he wouldn't realize another Original was in town? He'd just think that she healed quickly. She knew a Warrior healed faster than the average human. And there was a slight scar left, no matter how strong Elijah's blood had been. She was suddenly very thankful for that.

"Yes, well, I do apologize for the wound. It had been necessary, at that time. It seems to have healed nicely," he smiled a dazzling smile, ever the charmer. She didn't think he sounded suspicious, at least. "And as for your friend, that had been necessary as well. She was a risk that needed to be put down."

AJ didn't let the words affect her because, one, Bonnie was alive and he didn't know that, and two, if Bonnie truly had been killed, then she would have done the exact same thing—remained expressionless. It was her fallback. But she couldn't help but notice at that moment that her heart was fluttering in her chest, and not from the run. She tried to get it to stop, embarrassed because she knew he could hear and she didn't know why it was acting that way. She wasn't scared of him.

"So is this you're true face? Or have you borrowed another one? If you have, then you're making me seriously doubt the appeal of the real you, Klaus," she smirked at him, praying to God that he was borrowing another person.

He laughed this time with true humor. "I'm happy to tell you Warrior that this is the true me. It's good to know that you like what you're seeing," he winked at her suggestively.

She fumed. She should have just kept her mouth shut and listened to what her intuition had told her. "Whatever," she said bitterly as she crossed her arms. "What do you want? Or are you just enjoying what _you're_ seeing? You totally checked me out a second ago. Creep." It was the best comeback she had. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she could feel it in her throat. It was throwing off her concentration.

He grinned, "I do appreciate the view, but I assure you Warrior, my intentions for coming here are far from that. I wish to speak with you."

"Doesn't everyone," she mumbled under her breath, earning another laugh out of the evil Original in front of her. And why did he keep calling her 'Warrior'? She wanted to swat at him every time he did. It wasn't a cute nickname; it was a stupid label that made her sound guyish. She wished she could just continue her run, or go home, or be anywhere but here. She knew there was only so long before her darker side started fighting for a more dominant presence in her head. She didn't want to be around Klaus of all creatures when that happened. She looked up at him, now, meeting his eyes easily. She could see the tiniest hint of surprise in his eyes at her boldness. She internally grinned. "I told you before Klaus, you can't persuade me or whatever it is you're trying to do. It's going to get old if I have to keep telling you that."

"Yes, well, I told _you_ that you _can_ be persuaded. It may take time and effort, but it will happen, AJ. I'm confident," he said as he stalked towards her, making her back up slightly.

She had to shush the voice in her head that agreed with him. That wanted to be persuaded and join him. She wouldn't let it happen. She wouldn't. She shook her head, but the question had been bugging her for days. She wanted to bite her tongue, but she couldn't. "What exactly is it that you want from me? Why do you need to persuade me—for what?" she tried her hardest to sound unhappy instead of curious, and she was lucky she was successful. At least to her ears, she was.

He sighed overdramatically. "Well, I believe you shall find the answers to those questions the moment you agree to join me," he smiled wickedly as he got down in her face, "What do you say, Warrior? Curious enough right now, or do I just have to keep being persistent?"

She glared at him. "You can be persistent all you want, but I'll never agree. And by the way, it's _AJ_, not _Warrior._ I'm sick of hearing that word."

He looked truly surprised. Most Warriors he'd known had taken up the label once they found it was their true purpose. She seemed to always be different than most Warriors. "My apologies, Miss AJ. But do I really have to tell you what a lost cause it is you're helping? The sacrifice will happen, and your friends will die. If you join me, you could at least be on the winning team. Is that not appealing?" He asked wickedly.

Part of her answered 'Yes. Hell yes.' But the other part knew better. She shook her head, "Not really. Being stuck with your snarky ass all day? That's really very _unappealing,"_ AJ said, knowing she was testing the limits of how much he would take from her. He could very well rip her throat out and dispose of her body within a second, if he chose to. She knew she shouldn't test him, but she couldn't help it.

He frowned deeply at her, an intimidating look. "You'd better watch the way you speak to me, _AJ. _I'm known to have a temper from time to time."

AJ needed to leave. _Now._ The darkness within her was started to build and rebel, and she couldn't let it. She had to get away. "Yes, well would you look at the time? If I'm not back to the boarding house in a few minutes, people will start to get worried. Goodbye, Klaus. I hope I don't have to see you again," she rushed the words but maintained a calm voice.

He looked at her with a smile. "Count on seeing me again, Miss AJ. You will give in. I promise you that."

AJ hesitated to turn her back on him, but did so anyway. She didn't think he'd try anything. Although, he could very well kidnap her… At that thought she rushed away, and full out sprinted towards the boarding house. She needed to talk to Elijah. She made her decision about moving.

Klaus just stared after her, a cocky smile on his lips. She wasn't anything like other Warriors he'd known. They had all been good, with the exception of one who'd easily been persuaded since their conscience was hardly present. _AJ_ didn't seem that way, but she did seem very different. He'd figure her out. He'd persuade her. He was sure of it.

**Give me some feedback on this chapter please!(: More to come, soon!(-:**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 29

"Elijah? I've made my decision. I'm staying with you. Tonight, if that's okay," she said into her cell phone, her words rushing out as her heart was still beating rapidly from both the run and the run-_in_ with Klaus. She didn't think she'd mention that part to Elijah though. Or the part about Lucas showing up. He'd be angry about both of them, and she didn't want that. He'd probably kill Lucas. She just wanted to get out of the house by tonight. As she held the phone to her ear, she grabbed the suitcases she'd brought with her when she first arrived at Mystic Falls and began opening them in a rush.

"AJ, are you all right? You sound distressed," Elijah said, his own voice sounding worried.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just thought about what you said, and you're right. It's not safe here. Would you be able to help me with my things tonight?" AJ asked. She knew she still sounded frantic, but she couldn't calm herself down.

"Yes. I'll be right there. Are you sure you're all right?" Doubt was clearly evident in his voice.

"Yes. Everything's fine. I'll see you soon," she said, then hung up. She didn't want to avoid any more questions, although she knew she'd have to when he arrived. It'd probably be worse actually, since he'd be able to see her trembling hands. She looked down at them, frowning at just how obvious they were. She decidedly sat down on the floor and crossed her legs. She needed to stop her rapidly beating heart and shaking hands, so she thought this was the best way. Putting one hand on each knee and straightening her back, she closed her eyes and breathed in, then out. She repeated it over and over again, focusing solely on that. Meditating always helped calm her nerves.

"AJ?"

She jumped and opened her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief. He was fast, she'd give him that. Elijah stood at her doorway, the keys to a car in his hand. He was looking down at her strangely.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Meditating," she replied, then moved to stand up. She stood up too quickly and her head began to spin as she lost her balance. Elijah quickly went to her and held her steady, his hands on either side of her waist.

"And why are you meditating?" he asked, his eyebrows drawn together. Something definitely wasn't right. She seemed off.

"It passes the time," AJ shrugged off his worry and pretended not to be super conscious of his hands on her body, "I'm going to need some help packing. I suck at it," she lied. She wasn't terrible, but she wasn't the world's best either. Although she did think she could've broken a record at how _fast_ she'd packed when she was younger and leaving her home town. She'd taken everything she had and left within an hour back then.

"Okay," he said warily, studying her. He slowly and reluctantly removed his hands, bringing them down to his sides, "I'm glad you chose to stay with me. It is wise of you."

AJ smiled, "I have my moments," she winked. She was still frenzied inside and she didn't want him to see it. "So if you could just grab some of my more keepsake things, I'll take care of my clothes."

He nodded but was still scrutinizing her. She was as blank as a statue now. He had to admit, she was quite good at masking what she was feeling. But he was better at reading her. He'd ask her about it later.

He looked around her room and saw just how _many_ 'keepsake' things there were. It wasn't like a hoarder—it was far from it. The things she had looked to be either very valuable, like the Italian Carnival mask he spotted, or very sentimental, like the pictures of her and her family he saw. Once he saw the latter, he moved over to them quickly, curious. He picked up one photo and studied it. They appeared to be somewhere tropical, far from where she said her hometown in Michigan was, and they looked very happy. She was right in the middle, her smile as bright as the sun. She didn't look to be too young—maybe fourteen or fifteen, even though she could really have passed as older than that. He knew she couldn't have been since the pictures had a date on them. Her brother, he assumed since they looked very much alike, stood to her right, his arm around her in a sibling type way and his smile nearly as bright as her own. Her parents stood to her left together. He could see, clearly, that she got her more golden skin from her father, because her mother's skin was too fair. But she looked a lot like her mother. It was a curious photo. She never spoke of her family, and the one time he brought them up she dismissed it as if it were a painful reminder of something. Another missing piece to the puzzle.

"That was when we went to Cancun," AJ said behind him, surprising him. He turned and saw her staring at the photo, reminiscing. "My parents liked to travel a lot, and so do I—_did_ I. My brother didn't care much for it, but he came anyway. We've been all over the place." She looked up at him and gave him a slight smile, but he could detect a hint of sadness.

"You never say much about your family," he said gently. He wondered why she was now. But he was glad she was—she was always so introverted, keeping everything to herself. This was a new side of her.

She shrugged. "I usually don't have much to say, anymore." She turned back around and began working on folding her clothes again. She had a _lot_ of clothes. She hoped Elijah wouldn't mind.

"Why not?"

She sighed. "I don't really talk to them much. Or at all, really. They weren't happy that I left, especially at such a young age. But I needed to. My brother was the most understanding, but my parents weren't happy with me at all. Well, mostly my mom. My dad didn't seem to be too bothered. He knew I didn't like the small town we lived in."

His eyebrows pulled together. "What didn't you like about it?" Small towns were small towns. She was living in Mystic Falls, which was a small town. It didn't make a lot of sense to him.

She laughed humorlessly, "It was a who's who town. You were either in with the crowd, or on the outside looking in. I personally never really cared, but after being around so many stuck-up people for so long, it gets tiring."

He nearly snorted. "You weren't what they call the 'Queen Bee?'" Elijah was surprised that _that_ was the reason why she didn't like her town. With her looks, talent, money, _and_ intelligence, she could have people eating out of her hands. He wondered if she knew that.

She gave him an incredulous look. "You're kidding me. I was more like the outcast, the loner, the girl no one ever really spoke to. And I'm glad," she laughed, looking up at him with humor, "I was far from the '_Queen Bee,_'" she made air quotations as she emphasized it.

"That's very surprising," Elijah said, noting that she really didn't see herself the way most people probably did.

She snorted, "And why's that? Do I seem like a bitch to you?" That was all the 'popular' girl was, after all. At least in AJ's mind.

Elijah shrugged, not yet ready to admit to her what even he thought of her. He decided to change the subject back to the original topic.

"Have you spoken to them since? You parents?" he inquired. He, too, got to work on putting some of her things in one of the large empty suitcases. He put a few photos in, but not before studying each one. They were all in different places, so she definitely had traveled a lot. There was some of her at what seemed to be her true home in Michigan. She was wearing several different dresses, or just spontaneously smiling and laughing, or playing her guitar and singing. He found that he liked the pictures.

"No. I've never really thought that they'd want to speak to me. If they did, then they would've called," her voice was detached, but she had so many emotions going through her. She was sad, mostly.

He put what he assumed to be very expensive souvenirs into the suitcase, including the Italian mask. She a lot of masks, actually and she had very good taste. Each one was elegant and unique.

He looked up at her as she worked, and regarded the way her shoulders were unusually slumped. There was a frown on her face. "Maybe if you tried calling them, things would work out," he suggested. He wasn't really sure how it worked—how to ask forgiveness from one's mother or father, but he thought that seemed like a reasonable idea.

She shrugged. "Maybe."

He sighed at her lack of response, but decided to leave her to her thoughts. Since she would now be staying with him, he would have plenty of time to get to know the true AJ Echo better. He focused completely at the task at hand. She had a number of books he added to the suitcase, as well as pottery and to his amusement, a pink-purple piggy bank. It even had money in it, from what he could tell by the weight of it. He hid his smile so she wouldn't see it. Then he came across a strange box with intricate carving in the dark wood.

"Do you want this?" he asked as he held it up. She turned and looked, and her eyes went wide. She went over to him and he gave her the box, seeing that she would take it from him otherwise.

She opened it briefly, scanning its contents, then smiled and handed it back to him. "Yes, I'd very much like to keep that." She returned to her closet with the same smile on her face. "I thought I lost it."

"What is it?" he inquired. It had been such a strange reaction, but he wouldn't open it without her permission. Which was an odd thing to respect, for him, but he did anyway.

"It's a memory box," she answered as she folded a pink shirt. "I keep anything I really want to remember in it, or look back on. Like pictures or friendship bracelets—things like that that wouldn't have much of a place in the present. You don't have one?"

"No." He never had any reason to. He hardly forgot things, and he never really had many prized possessions. After he put the box into the suitcase gently, he spotted a stuffed animal on her bed. Again amused, he walked over to it and picked it up. It was a white bear, a regular teddy bear, in a way. It was very soft and plush. He briefly wondered if she slept with it.

"You still have stuffed animals?" he asked, just a hint of good-natured humor in his voice. She looked over again and smiled.

"Just the one. My father gave that to me a few days before Christmas when I was fifteen," she laughed. "He said I'd always be his little girl, no matter how old I looked or was."

She smiled like she had a secret and was trying to keep from laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked, smiling at her cheerfulness.

She shook her head but answered. "I could pass as eighteen when I was fifteen. So when I was fifteen, I was already going to casinos. I was never carded," she laughed, her laugh musical and adorable. He hadn't seen her smile in such a way before, but he very much liked it. He gently put the teddy bear in with the rest of the things that were valuable or sentimental to her. He knew her guitars would simply be transported in their cases, and she'd probably put her sketch book in a backpack. Other than that, it appeared that they were finished packing her things.

The idea of being able to see her everyday was very appealing to him. He could keep a good eye on her and get to know her better. Of course other things came to mind as well, but he ignored those thoughts. But then he remembered that there was a reason she agreed to stay with him so quickly. He would need to find out what that was.

**Tell me your thoughts about this chapter!(: **


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 30

Elijah's house—more like _estate_—was beautiful. As he had pulled onto the drive that led to the large home, she wanted to jump with joy and maybe do a little dance, too. _This_ would be where she'd be staying? She was amazed. The house was a classic Victorian estate with all the beautiful architectural designs in it. It was stunning to look at. The grounds around the house were bright green grasses and strikingly colored flowers. Behind the home there was a slope, and she thought she could detect some kind of structure. A gazebo maybe? She'd have to explore later.

He pulled up to one of the large garages attached to the house and she was awe-struck. But when she thought about it, she shouldn't have been. The place totally screamed 'Elijah'—classy, elegant, and astounding. And expensive.

She got out of his car and looked around, breathing in the fresh air. She looked at him with a smile on her face, "It's beautiful, Elijah."

He was opening the trunk of the car where all her things were, and turned to regard her, wearing a half-smile of his own. "I'm glad you like it."

Elijah insisted on carrying everything into the house, saying that there was already a room he thought she'd like the most. She watched him as he blurred into the house and out, taking in the suitcases, then turned and surveyed the landscape around her. The sun was setting, casting an even more stunning ambiance. She smiled to herself. Living with Elijah wouldn't be so bad.

"AJ," he called her name from the door he held open, "I'll show you around."

She smiled and nodded as she made her way over to him. The inside of the house was as amazing as the outside—everything truly was classical, but not old at all. It was a little bit like walking into a museum, but a somewhat modernized one. He first walked into the kitchen, and she instantly fell in love with it, as she was sure she would with the rest of the house. It was spacious and airy, the golden color of the walls going great with the dark wood that served as cabinets and islands. It looked like one of those kitchens you'd see in a magazine that belonged to a five star chef. Then they came upon what he called the 'parlor' and she assumed it was his old way of saying a living room. It was a collection of reds and the same dark wood that seemed to be a theme of the house. It contained bookshelves loaded with all different kinds of books, but she was sure that in a house like this, there was a library or a study somewhere with more. She was proven right, later on. After a little while, he took her up the large staircase and to the second floor, before stopping at a closed door.

He smiled slightly at her. "I thought maybe this room would be most accommodating for you," he said, indicating for her to open the door.

As she pushed it open, she looked around in awe. It was _huge_. In some ways, it was very similar to the room she had designed back at the boarding house. Its theme seemed to be a Mediterranean or Old Italian one, and she adored it. The walls were a deep purple, the bedspread of the _king_ sized bed in between two nightstands was a burgundy-red color and there was gold and green in the rest of the décor. There was a desk in one corner by a large window, her laptop already on it. The window told her that it was well into the night. The room was lit up by decorative lamps with the same old look that some of the décor had, casting golden light into the room. Large, dark-wooded bookshelves took up some expanse of the far wall, and by that there was a fireplace with seating around it. An intricately carved vanity was by the door she assumed would be her bathroom. Spaced around on the walls were beautiful paintings of Venice and other places. She was giddy with childlike happiness. She'd always wanted a room like this!

Elijah had been leaning against the doorframe, watching her the entire time. She turned to him and hugged him, bringing his body close to her own. He was taller than her by several inches, so she had to go onto her tip-toes slightly to wrap her arms around his neck. It took him a second to respond, since he was absolutely dumbfounded by the contact he'd never had before, but he hugged her back, putting his arms around her waist. It was normal, wasn't it? He physically restrained himself from closing his eyes and smelling her hair. He wondered if that was normal too, or just something odd he wanted.

"Thank you Elijah," she said, happiness blatant in her voice, "It's absolutely perfect. And the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," she added as she beamed at him. It was true.

He laughed, masking his disappointment as she pulled away from him, but looked down at her with a smirk, "Well, I didn't want to put you in the basement. After all, I am forcing you to stay here, in a way."

She shook her head, "No you aren't. I told you I agreed that it was a good idea. The boarding house wasn't safe for me." She was thoughtful for a minute. "Would you have forced me?"

He looked down at her blankly. "Never," he said innocently, or as innocently as he could. That was one thing he couldn't pull off very well, at least not with her.

She huffed and crossed her arms, frowning. "You totally would have!"

He laughed, "AJ, I would not have forced you to stay with me if you truly didn't want to. I would have tried to be very persuasive, though, I admit. Seeing the way you like this room, I could have easily just shown you it and you would have agreed. Am I right?" He raised an eyebrow, his mouth pulled up into a half smile.

She huffed again and didn't say anything. She knew a couple of names she could call him, but she wouldn't be rude. Even if he would've _persuaded_ her to stay with him, he was still letting her live in the security of his home. She was thankful for that. She just didn't like the idea of being coerced into something.

"AJ," Elijah said, putting a finger under her chin to lightly tilt her head up, "Look at me." Her eyes remained cast to the floor even as he held her head level with his own, "Please?" She finally did, and even in the lighting he could see the golden specks in her unhappy eyes. "I would have done it for your safety. Understand that. Are you angry with me?"

She frowned again as she looked at him. Damon had been so wrong—Elijah wasn't a liar or a fake. He was truly sweet and caring, at least when he wanted to be. She sighed. "No, I'm not mad at you. I just don't like the idea of being forced into things…"

He looked at her, his eyebrows coming together darkly, "I would never force you into anything." He said it with such intensity, he found himself wondering where the passion came from. Probably from the countless times he'd wondered if her ex, Lucas, had ever forced her into staying with him. Or worse.

She stared at him, her own eyes soft, "I know. I trust you, Elijah." Suddenly she yawned. She looked over to where she had spotted a large clock a few minutes ago. It was almost midnight. She saw her suitcases on the floor beside what appeared to be a closet door. Then she looked at the bed. It looked so comfortable, it was tempting her. She needed sleep, especially after the long day she'd had.

"I think I'm going to leave my unpacking for tomorrow. I'm exhausted," she said, looking back at Elijah who she noticed was studying her very carefully. "What?" she asked.

"Tomorrow you can get settled in. But after that, you and I are having a talk."

She thought that sounded like a not-too-good thing. He was probably still suspicious of why she agreed so quickly. Fantastic.

She nodded her head. "Okay."

He looked around her room once more, satisfied that _she_ was satisfied with it. He'd had a decorator come in. He'd figured that if it looked more like her taste, she would like it better. He looked down at her again. He could tell she was just barely managing to stay awake, what with her sleeping disorder. "If you need anything, AJ, my room is the first door on the right, down the hall."

"All right," she said as she stretched a little, unaware that her shirt lifted ever so slightly and showed some skin. "Goodnight, Elijah. Thank you, again."

He nodded at her. "Goodnight."

After he left, AJ closed the door. She looked around the room again and sighed happily. Even though the circumstances for why she'd agreed to stay with Elijah were less than awesome, she was still glad she did. And not just because of the room. Now she wouldn't only feel safe by being around him, during the few times of the week that was. Now she felt safe, and it seemed to stay that way. He was still in the house, somewhere, and it helped her substantially.

She went over to the suitcase she knew held her clothes and opened it, pulling out some pajama stuff—shorts, a tank, nothing fancy. Then she went to the bag Elijah packed and pulled out her bear. After changing, she got into the large bed to find that it had a pillow-top mattress. She was happy all over again and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

**Tell me what you think about AJ and Elijah!(-:**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 31

AJ woke the next day feeling the most awake than she ever had before. She smiled big as she saw the sunlight streaming into her room from the two large windows on her right. She wondered if it was the fact that she was staying with Elijah that allowed her to have a good night's sleep, or the fact that the bed was just _awesome. _ Probably both, but more so Elijah. She got out of bed, seeing that it was ten a.m. She had never slept for so long before without waking up from a nightmare or vivid dream. It was pretty cool.

She went into the bathroom and had the same reaction she'd had to the bedroom the night before. _Wow._ There was an amazingly large shower, a huge Jacuzzi tub in the corner with a view of the property, and a long countertop that looked very welcoming for her hair dryer and other necessities. The bathroom was tiled in an old relic way that was beautiful and the countertop was stone. But since she knew it was late, she had to quickly get over the fact that she'd never been in a bathroom like this. She showered and dressed, then dried her hair and styled it. By the time she emerged, it was eleven.

She opened her bedroom door that led to the hallway and went to her right, remembering from the night before that it would lead her to the staircase and eventually to the kitchen. She was hungry and prayed he had some Frosted Cheerios. Those were her favorite. To her surprise, he did. She poured herself a bowl and a glass of orange juice, and then sat down at the breakfast bar at the island in the kitchen. She thought she could definitely get used to this. Just as she was putting her bowl in the dishwasher, he came in, wearing a suit as usual. If there was one man who looked good in a suit, it was Elijah.

"You're up," he said, seeing that she looked somehow different than usual. More awake, he thought. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in my whole life," she said seriously. It had really been the first night she hadn't dreamed or anything. She loved it.

"That's great," he said, genuinely meaning it. He sobered then, "It appears now is a good time to have that talk—"

"Actually, I was hoping to get a head start on unpacking," she interrupted quickly, edging her way towards the hallway that would take her to the stairs, "But I'm sure we can talk later."

"AJ," his voice was grave and serious. She stopped immediately, knowing that she'd have to or else he would have made her. "Sit. Now."

"Okay _Mom_," she said, acting childish as she took her seat again at the breakfast bar, but this time she crossed her arms and huffed. Elijah glared at her. She rolled her eyes. "What did you want to talk about? If it's about getting to school, we can easily grab my car and bring it—"

"AJ," he said again in a voice that told her to be quiet. He crossed his arms and studied her. "It seems as though there's something you're keeping from me. As usual," he added, partly under his breath but she still heard it.

"Okay, one, I don't really _intend_ to keep things from you, it just sort of happens, and two, I'm _not_ keeping anything from you. All's well in AJ land," she winked at him but stopped trying to be cute when he still glared at her.

"I need to know if something serious has happened or not. Has Klaus tried to contact you? Has any other vampire you don't know made contact with you? What aren't you telling me, AJ?"

She looked down at her shoes. She was wearing converse that morning, her favorite grey pair. She shook her head, but didn't meet his eyes. "Nothing's happened Elijah. Really."

He zoomed into her face, putting a hand on either side of her on the counter, blocking her in. She leaned away from him, but showed no other sign that he'd startled her. His eyes held demand within them, and even worry.

"Tell me, AJ. I know something's happened. I just don't know what." He searched her eyes for an answer and was satisfied when he saw that after a moment she was caving.

She sighed deeply, choosing to look at anything but him. "It's not a big deal… but, well, when I was running yesterday on a trail behind the boarding house, Klaus appeared—"

"And you didn't think to mention this sooner? Really, AJ?" Elijah growled, a frightening noise, and his fangs came out. He was livid. He was tired of her hiding things from him that she should share immediately. How could she not understand how important this was? How important her _safety_ was?

"Elijah, this probably isn't the best time to mention this, but I have personal space issues and you're seriously violating—"he growled again, "Never mind," she added quickly. Jeez. Was he mad, or what? She knew she should have told him about Klaus sooner, but she just didn't want to think about it. Every time she did, everything he'd said to her would haunt her. It'd make her doubt herself. She didn't want that; she wanted her darker side to stay chained deep down inside her. It _had_ to.

Elijah was staring at her, unblinking. For her it was unnerving, but he didn't seem to realize that. Or maybe he just didn't care. She could never be entirely sure, with Elijah.

"What happened? Did he harm you? Or threaten you? AJ, _what happened?_"

She didn't understand why he was so concerned. She would have if it had been Elena Klaus had spoken to, but she was the Warrior. Klaus didn't want her dead. He wanted her on his side, that's all. Why was it such a big deal, especially if she just told him off each time?

"He checked me out. He was cocky and arrogant. And I told him off. Again. Nothing happened. He didn't threaten me or hurt me. He didn't really do too much of anything. Everything's okay, all right Elijah?" But she could see that it wasn't all right. Something was wrong. "Elijah? What's happened to other Warriors when they said no to him? Were they hurt?"

He didn't meet her eyes, but he kept her blocked in. He'd forgotten that he even did that, he was so focused on what she said. Klaus hadn't hurt her. He hadn't threatened her. She said that he'd _checked her out. _ It seemed that in Klaus's way, he was being marginally _civil_ with her. That had never happened before, not with the Warrior. Far from it.

"Elijah?" she asked again. She was worried now. What had Klaus done to the other Warriors? What would he do to her?

"It's nothing you need to worry about AJ," he said, standing up straight and giving her space. He didn't want her thinking about what happened to the others. She had nightmares enough already. "Is there anything else you haven't told me? If so, you'd better say it now. Any later, and I'm not sure how I will react," his voice sounded strained and tired. He wondered for a moment if it was just the fact that she was a teenage girl in the modern days that made her resort to hiding everything about herself, or if it was just part of her personality. He was leaning more towards the latter.

She stared at him a moment, wishing he'd tell her what she wanted to know. But she knew he wouldn't unless he thought it was absolutely necessary. She _felt_ it was. But she'd just have to be patient—_and_ avoid Klaus as best as she could. "Well…" she trailed off. She _really _didn't want him to know this part.

"Yes?" He gave her a level look. A don't-bullshit-me look.

She rubbed at her eyes, preparing for an even madder Elijah. "Lucas showed up at the boarding house," her eyes closed with anticipation of the worst. She could see him absolutely losing his calm and controlled demeanor and going crazy—tearing things apart with his anger. She expected it, especially since she hadn't told him.

Elijah was silent, though, so she opened her eyes and studied him, confused. His face was red and he looked like he was internally battling not to break something. She knew the feeling.

"And what did _he_ do?" Elijah barely managed to ask through clenched teeth. This girl could drive him mad with her ways.

AJ shook her head, looking confused. "He just wanted to apologize for what he did. I was surprised, but I told him to leave. Unfortunately… Well… he should be leaving today. At least that was what he said…"

"But?"

"Well… Sometimes he says that, and stays longer. I really hope it's not the case this time," AJ said sincerely. She knew that there were a number of things that could happen that would not end well for Lucas.

"Oh," Elijah said darkly and quietly, "I hope it is." He was mad. He was mad about Klaus and whatever game he was playing with AJ, he was mad that AJ had to be in any sort of danger at all, and he was especially mad that the boy who felt he could abuse AJ and not get any sort of punishment for it was in town. That he'd _spoken_ to her, as if he had any right to. In Elijah's opinion, the boy didn't even have the right to breathe around her. Or at all.

AJ knew what the look in Elijah's eyes meant. It made her stomach queasy. "Elijah, don't be like that. He said he was sorry! That was why he came all this way to talk to me, and I knew he meant it! Please, don't do anything," she begged, watching as he straightened out his suit, keeping his face impassive. He grabbed the keys to his car on the table. "Elijah! You promised me you wouldn't hurt him!"

Elijah froze when she said that, his back to her. He had promised he wouldn't hurt him unless he posed some sort of threat. That was true. And he was a man of his word. And he couldn't think of any true reason of how Lucas could pose a threat to her, at the moment. He had no real excuse to tell her. So he wouldn't hurt him. But he did want to talk to him.

"I'll be back later, AJ. I'm not sure how late, so don't wait up for me. The gardener is working outside right now, but don't speak with her. She mustn't know you're here." And with that, he was gone.

Oh, no. She dreaded what Elijah was going to do. She was scared for Lucas.

But her darker side rejoiced. It would finally get its vengeance.

**A/N: I have exams this week, so I may not be updating as much as I usually do, but I'll try to at least once every day. Tell me what you thought of this chapter!(-:**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 32

It was eleven o'clock, and Elijah still wasn't home. She'd been pacing around the house all day, worried and scared. What would he do to Lucas? Had he even found him? Would he kill him? She didn't know. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

To distract herself, earlier in the day she'd unpacked all her things. She sorted them and organized them neatly, almost to the point of OCD, that was how much she needed a distraction. Then, once she was sure that the gardener left, she went outside and explored the large grounds. She had in fact seen a gazebo, but that hadn't been the most impressive part. Around it was a pond, and there were little stepping stones to actually get to the gazebo. There were fish in the pond and birds swimming. There were even candles placed about meticulously on other stones in the pond. She was sure that it would be a romantic sight if they were lit up at night, and she would've thought it was such a sweet thing of Elijah to have if she hadn't felt so anxious. It would have been a truly delightful sight. There was a forested area farther past the pond, and she spotted a few openings for trails. She went out on those too and found a few other interesting things on the property. There were caves and a beautiful waterfall with a cliff hanging near it that totally beat the one she used to go to. The entire area was landscaped, that much was obvious. It was beautiful. She had spent most of the day outside, trying her hardest to distract herself, but nothing seemed to work.

Was Lucas dead by now, laying somewhere where he wouldn't be found with his heart ripped out? Or had Elijah done something much worse? She couldn't really imagine what could be worse than getting your heart ripped out, but she was sure Elijah could. Would he break his promise to her? She trusted him. Would she trust him after tonight?

The questions were killing her. She wanted answers to them, yet at the same time she didn't. How would she feel if Lucas was dead? Sad? Happy? She figured one part of her would be sad and the other would be happy. She hated that she thought she'd feel that way.

She was sitting at the breakfast bar, rubbing at her temples from the headache she brought on herself, when Elijah walked in.

Her head shot up, taking him in. There wasn't blood on his clothes. There wasn't blood on his hands. At least it hadn't been messy, if he had done something. His face was grim.

"Elijah? What have you done?" she asked, her voice miserable and pleading. When he just stood there, absolutely still and said nothing, she began again, "Elijah? Please tell me. It's killing me."

He met her eyes finally, but there was only anger behind his. He took his car keys out of his pocket and put them on the counter without breaking them, like he wanted to.

He shook his head slowly, walking to stand in front of AJ. "I did not break my promise to you," he said through clenched teeth, "Lucas is alive and well. Although he shouldn't be."

AJ stared at him, wide eyed, "If you—if you didn't kill him, then what did you do? What happened?"

"I simply spoke to him," Elijah said, his voice and face void of emotion, "I must say, he was very frightened. And he had a lot to say after he realized what I was and what I could do to him. He told me much more than you ever did." Elijah looked at her, keeping his level of anger hidden and controlled, but just barely.

Her head was spinning a little bit. "What… what did he tell you?"

"When you said he hit you, AJ," Elijah's voice was dark, "I thought you meant that he pushed you around, gave you bruises and what not. That's what you led me to believe. Tell me, do you realize how much of a difference it is when he hits you so hard, you happen to break ribs? Or an arm? Or just wind up in the hospital for days? Do you realize that you completely understated what he did to you, in truth? He told me everything. It was everything I had in me to walk away from him without ripping his veins out, one by one. I should have. I should right now. But I promised you I wouldn't. If I had known at that time that these are the things he truly did to you, I wouldn't have made such a stupid promise. He deserves to die. And you didn't tell me the truth," he looked at her, still holding on to his control with all his might. He didn't know what else to say. Was there anything left to say?

She hung her head down. She should have known. She should have told Elijah, but she knew what would've happened if she did. He was angry with her, she knew that, but he was angrier with Lucas. Murderous angry. She didn't know what to say to him. "Elijah, I'm—"

He held up a hand to stop her, and then rubbed at his eyes. He was tired. He could see that she was as well. "Just go to bed, AJ. We can talk about it later." He didn't look at her again as she slowly got up and made her way to her room. He knew if he did, that he would apologize for putting her through the worrying she surely went through throughout the day. And for making her feel bad when she should feel anything but. But he kept his mouth shut, his mind still thinking about what Lucas had said to him. She never put up a fight. No matter how badly he hit her or how much she hurt, she never put up a fight. Why? Why would she let that happen to herself when she had the power to stop it?

X x x x x x x x x x x x X

_There was blood. Blood everywhere—on her hands, her clothes, the floor and walls. It was _their_ blood. She knew it. Their blood was on her hands—literally. But he would be pleased with her, wouldn't he? Surely he would be. He wouldn't do the things he'd done to the others to _her_—no, not now. Not since she finally did as he asked. Besides, he'd said she was special. Different. He'd said that he wanted her to come with him. Maybe even change her. Part of her was enthralled. The other part was begging to have control again._

_Where was he? He was supposed to be here with her—he'd promised. And she knew he wouldn't have wanted to miss this, not for anything. So where could he be? She heard something behind her, so she turned. It was him. She smiled and gestured towards the work he wanted her to do. He would be pleased, wouldn't he? _

_But he didn't look pleased. Not at all. He looked angry. She backed away from him, both parts of her understanding that she was in danger. Something wasn't right. He was supposed to be happy, but he wasn't. Had she done something wrong? What would he do to her? No—he wouldn't do _that_, would he? He said he wouldn't!_

_She stumbled back now, frightened. He was advancing towards her, his deep blue eyes livid. But she had done as he asked! He was in front of her now, his fangs bearing. She wanted to scream. She knew what happened to the others. Now she'd be with them. She'd know their pain._

Startled, AJ woke up, gasping for air. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her throat, her head was spinning as she held a hand to it. Klaus. She'd been dreaming about Klaus. And… she'd done something. To who? Who had she hurt in her dreams? Whose blood was on her hands? She breathed out deeply, trying to relax. There wasn't any actual blood on her hands, and she was relieved about that. Then something shifted on the bed beside her. She tensed and looked up, realizing it was Elijah. Shirtless Elijah. But he was wearing silky-looking pull-string pants. He must sleep in them. Damn, did he look good. And worried. And she _really_ shouldn't have thought the first part.

"Are you all right? You were crying in your sleep…" he reached out to gently wipe at the moisture beneath her eyes.

She closed her eyes at the contact, relishing the feeling of his warm hand. Did this mean he forgave her for not telling him everything about Lucas?

"I'm fine," she said, but her voice trembled. She cleared her throat, trying again to sound stronger. "It was just a bad dream." Success. Strong voice acquired.

"A bad dream about Klaus," Elijah said quietly. He'd heard her beg for Klaus to stop whatever he'd been doing to her in her dream. Elijah knew that it still wasn't Klaus who was manipulating her nightmares—he wouldn't be scaring her. He'd be seducing her or persuading her or whatever he felt would get her on his side happily. And he also knew that he'd have to talk to her soon about what the curse really was. And who Klaus really was in relation to him.

She sighed. "I'm assuming I said something."

"Yes." He shifted uncomfortably on her bed. He wasn't sure how to make her feel better, especially since he was the one who made her feel worse earlier that night. Did he have any right to be with her right then, trying to help? Probably not. But he wanted to.

She regarded his shirtless chest again, but tried not to stare. He was _really_—she wouldn't finish that sentence. She didn't dare to. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

He shook his head, looking down at her. "You didn't. I was reading."

She nodded and returned her eyes to her comforter, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Elijah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have. I just—I see so much blood already. I didn't want to see more."

He shook his head again, looking at her sadly. "I should be the one apologizing. After all he did to you, I only made you feel worse. I'm sorry AJ."

She shrugged. "It's okay."

He looked at her, confused. She forgave him so easily, after the things he'd said to her. He'd never known anyone who didn't hold a grudge, at least for a little while. "It's not okay. And I just—"He stopped and sighed. He'd better not ask. Not now.

"You what?" she asked, looking up into his eyes. Even in the dark, she could see them well. They were sad—unguarded.

"It's nothing. I won't bother you about it," he said briskly, formally. Never mind about unguarded.

"Elijah, it's okay. What is it? Come on, I'm a big girl, I can handle it," she managed to joke. She even gave him a little smile.

He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it a little. He'd wait for a different time. "Not now," he told her. She stared at him another moment, then nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" She hoped he'd finally answer her this time. She also hoped he didn't.

"Yes." He should've said no. But he'd do anything to make her feel better.

"What did he do to the other Warriors?"

Elijah sighed. "AJ—"

"I need to know. It's what's haunting me, Elijah. What did he do?"

He laid a hand over one of her own, surprising both himself and her. But it seemed… right. "AJ. What's more important is that he isn't doing that with you. You're different. He sees that, I think."

'You're different.' That was what Dream Klaus had told Dream AJ, wasn't it? That she was different? Special? She swallowed hard.

"And what does that mean?" she asked reluctantly. Were they starting to see that she was both good and bad? They couldn't be. She was so good at hiding it—at least she thought so. She moved her hand to hold onto his as she closed her eyes. Whatever he said next, she knew she wouldn't like it.

"I don't know," he whispered, staring at her in the darkness, keeping a hold on her hand as well. "I don't know, AJ. He's never treated the Warrior the way he's been treating you. And that's what's not good. Not at all."

**Tell me what you think of Elijah and AJ(: Tell me what you think of the story!(: **


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 33

It was Monday, and AJ's least favorite day of the week. She was at school again, after getting dropped off by Elijah. She would pick her own car up later. His home was only about twenty minutes away.

She was going to her fourth class—the one she had with Elena and Stephen. She wasn't excited because she knew they'd have questions. She'd managed to be successfully late to school, so she missed first period with Stephen, but she knew she couldn't hide from them forever, no matter how appealing the idea sounded.

She entered the class and immediately felt their eyes on her. They were sitting in the back as they usually did, waiting expectantly for her to join them. She sighed and trudged towards them, taking a seat just ahead of the couple.

"AJ, you haven't answered any of my texts all weekend. I was beginning to think you-know-who took you, and then I went to the boardinghouse to look for you and I'm sure you can imagine how freaked I was!" Elena exclaimed, not very happy with her best friend at the moment, "What's going on with you? Why aren't your things at the boardinghouse anymore?"

AJ rubbed at her temples. So many questions. "Things have happened…"

"What kinds of things?" Stephen asked, his demeanor starkly contrasting Elena's. He was calm and collected, making AJ appreciate his presence more than she had in the beginning.

She looked at both of them before she started. "Well, for one thing, if you happen to see a tall, curly blonde-haired guy, stay the hell away from him."

Elena's eyes widened into saucers. "Klaus?" she asked, whispering.

AJ nodded grimly.

"You've seen him?" Stephen asked, more alert but still calm, "When?"

AJ sighed. "The first time he spoke to me—"

"He _spoke_ to you? And you didn't tell us?" Elena kept her voice down but was yelling all the same. The teacher, Mr. Robinson, wasn't paying attention to them as he began his lesson. Elena glared at AJ.

AJ crossed her arms, looking between both an angry Elena and an upset Stephen. "Okay, none of you have really kept me in the loop with anything, so _my bad._ Besides, it's not your problem to worry about just yet. The full moon isn't for another couple of weeks. He's still trying to persuade me."

"You think I'm worried about myself?" Elena asked incredulously, "AJ, I don't want him near you! He's a threat to you, even if he does only want to persuade you. What do you think he'll do if you keep saying no? Take it lightly? Or kill you?"

AJ looked away, hiding her grimace. It had only been last night that she and Elijah were discussing this. And the conclusion they came to had been vague yet bad, still.

"I don't want to talk about it. Elijah and I have already talked about it and well… I just don't want to talk about it, okay?" AJ asked quietly, her eyes on the floor. She'd barely slept last night after Elijah left her alone a few minutes later, that was how bothered she was by what he'd said.

"Elijah? Is that who you've been with this whole time?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.

AJ groaned and looked at her with a pleading look. "Please don't get in to the 'AJ, you can't trust him. He's _playing_ you,' thing again. You're way off Elena. He's on our side. You guys just don't see him the way I do."

Elena's eyebrows completely shot up at that statement. "And how exactly do you see him, AJ?"

AJ sighed and put her head on the desk. She hadn't meant for it to come out like that. Or had she? She'd been having these internal debates over her feelings for Elijah for quite some time. It was getting old.

"That's not what I meant Elena," AJ grumbled, her head still resting on the cool desk. "I'm just saying that you don't see the kinder side of him. And gee, I wonder why? Maybe because you killed him?" AJ sat up now and gave both Elena and Stephen a level glare.

"Do you really trust him that much?" Stephen asked curiously. He still wasn't sure if _he_ should trust AJ's faith in Elijah or not. How deep did it go? He knew that for AJ, trust was a huge deal and not something she had in others easily.

She decided to be blunt. Circumventing things like this never got anyone anywhere. "I'm living with him."

Now both Elena _and_ Stephen stared at AJ, wide eyed.

"Oh my gosh," Elena murmured, "Is he making you?"

AJ threw up her hands, exasperated. Of course Elena would think of it that way. "_No_ Elena, I _chose_ to! The boarding house wasn't safe. He knew it and I knew it. So he offered for me to stay with him for a while, and after thinking about it I accepted." AJ's voice grew louder and louder with the anger building up, drawing attention to their small group. The least her friends could do was be understanding. They all had to deal with the cold reality that was Klaus, so why couldn't they get that to stay safe, living with Elijah was the best idea? She was annoyed and tired and not herself. She just wanted to leave.

"Miss Echo!" Mr. Robinson yelled, gaining everyone's attention. AJ groaned and twisted in her seat to look at him, knowing what was coming next. But she didn't care.

"Time after time, you either interrupt my class or don't bother paying attention! I'm sick of your disrespect. Down to the office. Now." Mr. Robinson was angry and put out with the one student in his class that had a hundred percent. That he couldn't understand, but the fact that she was so disrespectful to authority figures got on his nerves.

"Whatever," AJ huffed. She grabbed her bag and stood up, making her way to the door. Before she did, however, she truly saw Mr. Robinson for the first time that hour. She had to keep from laughing at his obvious attempt to hide the reddish-purple spot on his neck with a high collared sweater. "Nice hickey," she added as soon as she was stepping over the threshold of the door.

The class burst out laughing, but AJ still heard her teacher when he screamed, "Office! Now!"

AJ laughed a little to herself as she walked down the hallway. She couldn't imagine anyone who'd _want_ to give him a hickey. He had a comb over and glasses that must have been from the seventies, even though he was only forty-something. She shuddered at the thought. She spotted the doors to the office at the same time she spotted the doors that led outside. To freedom. She weighed her options. Get yelled at by the principal and listen and an hour long lecture about how she was such a good student, just not a well behaved one, or skip the rest of school and relax? She didn't have to think about it twice. Within seconds she was outside, the sun shining down on her. She felt better already.

But then she remembered that she didn't have her car yet. She pondered calling Damon and having him come and get her to take her to it, but she didn't feel like going through all the things she already did with Elena and Stephen. They could fill him in on it. Then she thought about taking a stroll through the woods, and just when she stepped in that direction, she stopped. The last time she'd been in the woods, she saw—

"AJ. How lovely to see you on such a fine day." His voice came from behind her, his accent making the words sound even more elegant than any other person could make them. She knew who it was. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach.

"Klaus," she said, slowly turning around. She was still on school campus, but far away from the building. "When will you give me some peace and leave me alone?"

He raised his eyebrows, studying her. "When will you learn your manners and speak to me more respectfully?"

She shrugged, "Probably never."

"Then it shall be the same for me," he told her, circling her again like he did not so long ago inside the school, as Alaric. "You're quite an odd thing," he said as he scrutinized her, "So bold for being so young. Did no one ever put you in your place?"

"Did no one ever teach you how to win a girls heart? Because you're going about it all wrong, Klaus," she said, her chin up. Two could play at his game, whatever game that was. But hey, she was good at impromptu. "I'm not that kind of girl who'll be treated whatever way you'd like to treat me. You want respect, so do I."

He laughed at her, his blue eyes actually lighting up with humor. "You want respect?" He laughed again, as if it were the funniest thing in the world, "Most Warriors would be pleading for mercy by now, not demanding _respect!"_

She grimaced at his mention of other Warriors. And then she remembered that Elijah said that Klaus must have seen she was different than other Warriors, and right now she was showing him just that. Dammit. But she didn't see any way around it. She wouldn't cower away from him like some little girl. She was tough and he didn't scare her. At least, not a lot.

"Whatever," she said as she began making her way towards the parking lot. She may not have a car, but that didn't mean someone didn't leave theirs unlocked.

"Oh and I must say, AJ. Skipping class? How naughty of you," he teased as he tsked at her, "And you say you're the good Warrior. It seems to me that you have no trouble at all getting in touch with your darker side."

She froze when he said this, thinking he'd figured her out somehow. But then she realized that he couldn't have. It was just impossible. She was so good at hiding that part of her, of keeping it chained down. He was just toying with her. She noticed she was standing next to a silver grand am. Not really her style, but she peeked at the locks in it, nonetheless. She just wanted to get away from him.

"People have done worse things, as I'm sure good Warriors have," she said, keeping her voice emotionless as she held a hand up to look into the car. It was locked up tight. She turned around to look at the car behind her, only to be pinned to the grand am.

Klaus was holding her there, not painfully but not comfortably, either. He was staring into her eyes, searching for something. She wasn't exactly sure what, but she returned his stare with a completely blank one.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his body very close to hers, his face nearly nose to nose with her own.

"What are you talking about?" she asked incredulously. Has he gone whack-o? That was easily answered. She was certain he'd lost his French fries years ago.

He stared at her more before speaking again. "You show no signs of what all the other Warriors showed. None, whatsoever. Why is that?" he demanded again. He considered applying pressure to her somewhere where it would hurt her fragile human body, but he thought better of it. He'd rather her be cooperative. And he wanted answers.

AJ set her mouth in a grim line. She wanted to be anywhere but here. She wanted to be with Elijah. But she wasn't—the big bad Klaus was in front of her now, demanding answers that she couldn't give him, and she didn't really know what to do. Should she yell for help? She nearly laughed at the thought. One, she'd never thought of doing such a cowardly thing before, and two, Klaus could easily snap her neck before she made a sound. New plan… Actually, she didn't have one. She internally sighed.

"I demand an answer," Klaus said darkly. He was getting very impatient. And never before had anyone truly been so bold to _glare_ at him the way she was. What _was_ she? She wasn't even trembling. Not even a little. How could such an easily breakable human not be afraid of him? Or at least not show any signs of it? He'd never come across such a thing.

"I don't have an answer," AJ said bitterly. "You want to know just as much as I do. Will you take your hands off me?"

Just because she asked, he didn't. It agitated her, that much was obvious. If she says she doesn't have an answer, then he'll just ask another time. And again. He'd be ruthless about it. He would figure her out.

"It seems you are no longer living at the boardinghouse AJ. Tell me, were you scared off at the thought of me knowing where you sleep?" he asked, his voice mocking as he watched her tense.

"I simply felt a need for a change of scenery, that's all," AJ replied, her voice strong. He couldn't know she was living with Elijah. He absolutely couldn't. And Elijah's estate wasn't even under his name, he'd told her that. The longer Klaus held her pinned to the car, the more agitated she got. He was an annoying, overly confident ass. She made that decision in her mind. Part of her disagreed, though. She dismissed the thought.

"I see. Perhaps I could pay you a visit sometime, at this place you call you're change of scenery. I believe we do need to actually sit down and chat. Finding you alone nowadays is quite pressing. You seem to vanish easily." He sounded as if he was inquiring something, but she didn't know what. She did know that mentioning paying her a visit was just a ploy. And a stupidly obvious one, at that. He stared at her with intensity.

"Gee, Klaus, I don't think that's such a good idea. I'm kind of seeing someone right now—"

"Do not make jokes with me. I won't have them, Warrior," he said darkly. For such a young and small thing, she was very vocal and sarcastic. Would she ever learn?

Suddenly a cell phone rang, but it wasn't AJ's. Klaus released her and pulled a phone out of his back pocket, simply holding it to his ear and listening to the person on the other end speak. He said nothing and hung up the phone.

"It seems I am needed. We'll have to talk soon, AJ," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. He wasn't happy that absolutely nothing came out of this visit. But he'd figure her out. Soon. Before he left, he added, "I must say AJ, I do rather like the things you're wearing now. They're much less… revealing than what you were wearing the other day. It's not attractive when a woman tries that hard to get a man's attention." He knew it'd piss her off.

"That's not funny!" she shouted, but it was useless. He was gone.

**Tell me what you think! Give me some feedback on Klaus!(-:**


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: You guys are going to love this chapter, and the one that comes after it. (:**

Chapter 34

She waited twenty minutes, to make sure that Klaus was truly gone and not just spying on her, which would be completely and utterly creepy. But she waited. Then she called Elijah. She wanted to avoid getting in a fight with him again anytime soon, so she thought it was the best idea.

She was still outside on the school campus, leaning against someone's car as she waited for him to pick up.

"AJ. Is everything all right?" Elijah asked, clearly surprised that she was calling him when she was supposed to be in class.

"He was just here, Elijah," AJ explained quickly. She was feeling the aftermath of Klaus's visit, which was not good. She felt panicky; she blamed her dream. And they only seemed to be getting worse. "He seems to be getting impatient. And… more personal. It's weird."

"He was at the school?" Elijah asked, sounding more attentive.

"Well… he was kind of outside the school," AJ clarified. She didn't think Elijah would get mad about her skipping, but with him, she couldn't be sure. "I sort of got kicked out of a class and sent to the office, but I didn't exactly… do that. I skipped." She held her breath.

He laughed. "I'm not shocked about the last part. And it explains why he was there. You were still on school grounds, though?"

"Yes," AJ answered, unsure if that meant anything or not. "And I thought calling you was the best idea."

"Yes, it was. Shall I pick you up, or would you rather go back to class?" Sarcasm. She thought it was funny he actually used it for once.

She laughed genuinely, "Although going back to class sounds great and all…" she pretended to be weighing her options, "I really would like it if you picked me up."

"I am on my way. There's something we need to talk about, anyway." He sounded serious.

"Fantastic," AJ said cynically. It seemed every time they had to talk about something, it ended badly. She hoped this was not the case.

He sighed and seemed to read her mind. "I can't promise it'll be all that pleasant, but these are things you'd want to know, AJ."

"Okay," she said halfheartedly, "See you in a few."

She looked around at the empty parking lot. Normally, she would love the feeling of solitude. It was something she craved. But lately, it was making her uneasy. She wondered if the thought of Klaus just kidnapping her had crossed his own mind yet. It had to have—it was _Klaus._ But would he ever actually do it? Would Elijah be able to help her? She sighed. She hated thinking about these things, but she was starting to see that she needed to. Klaus's presence called for caution. She was the farthest from being cautious as a person could get. She knew she needed to start thinking before she did things.

She saw a dark car pull into the parking lot and stop in front of her. Elijah. Relief flooded throughout her body, as well as a sense of security. As long as Elijah was around, everything was okay. She realized that she became dependant on him, which was new for her. She usually didn't depend on anyone but herself. She opened the passenger door and got in, shutting it behind her.

"Thank you _so_ much," AJ told him graciously. She hated going to school, even though she liked to learn.

"Yes, well, it's actually helpful that you're skipping," Elijah replied, keeping his eyes on the road. She hadn't known it because it hadn't slipped into his voice over the phone, but he was mad about Klaus. The mere thought of him near her made him tighten his grip on the steering wheel.

"Are you okay?" AJ asked upon seeing his white knuckles.

"Yes, I'm fine," he answered, relaxing. There was no need to make her anxious as well. "Do you have any preference for where we should talk? It could take some time."

AJ thought for a moment. "Well, I'd say you're house would be the best place. We'd know that no one would be watching or listening. And I could really use to just be outside for a while without feeling paranoid."

Elijah turned right on the road, heading towards the estate. "Why would you be paranoid?"

"Uhm, maybe because I have some twisted vampire finding me at the moments when I least expect him, and it's always outside," she said sarcastically, but shuddered still. Klaus may not know how to win a woman's heart, but he sure did know how to give said woman the creeps.

Elijah sighed. "I see."

And that was all he said until they reached the house. AJ got out first, welcoming the cool, fresh air that seemed to be singular to Elijah's estate. It had some kind of enchantment about it, and she enjoyed it very much.

Without saying anything, AJ headed down the slope towards the trees and the paths, knowing Elijah was right behind her and probably curious. She hadn't found it in her to go out on the paths again, but she wanted to now. She just wanted to sit by the waterfall—it was very peaceful and serene. She knew she'd need that for whatever talk they were about to have. After choosing the correct path, she walked a bit before she came to the hidden path that led to the cliff.

Elijah was actually very curious as he followed her; surprised that she had found this area when the gardener hadn't. It was a place he used to go to think, and he didn't often visit it anymore. He found it curious that they both came here for some peace.

AJ sat down on the cool stone, sitting cross-legged as the sound of the waterfall right in front of her helped her to relax. She closed her eyes and just breathed; not exactly meditating but just enjoying the moment. Elijah chose to lean against a tree a few feet away from her, just off the cliff. He watched her for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly.

She smiled, her eyes still closed. "At the moment, absolutely nothing."

He studied her some more. There was a slight breeze in the air that day, lightly pulling her hair off to one side every now and then. The sun was out and shining brightly down upon her gold skin, showing it off to its entirety. She looked beautiful. He didn't want to disrupt such a scene, but he knew it was necessary. He could stare at her all day, and he didn't have time for that. He wished he did.

"AJ," he said quietly, causing her to open her bright eyes and look at him, "We do need to talk."

She nodded, "I know. I'm listening." She closed her eyes again, but was truly listening. She just wanted to remain feeling peaceful.

He hesitated before he began; listening to the sounds of the forest to make sure they were truly alone. They were, and he had assumed so since his property was private. No one ever came out here. "Klaus," he began, but kept his voice quiet, "is my brother, AJ."

She opened her eyes wide and looked up at him again. "He's your _brother?_"

Elijah nodded, "Yes."

She stared at him incredulously. "Why didn't you mention that sooner? What about all the other Originals?"

Elijah was quiet a moment. "I would have told you sooner, but there had been no need—not then. You need to know this now. I want for you to know it, and the sacrifice is a matter of weeks away. As for the other Originals, they are my brothers and sisters. My family."

AJ was shocked. That had been the absolute last thing she'd expected when he said they needed to talk. The Originals were a family? Klaus was Elijah's _brother?_

Seeing that she wasn't about to say anything, he continued. "My family, long ago, became the vampires. Nothing could harm us—not weaponry, not the sun, not fire, nor any other element. We were the Original vampires. But witches have their ways, and everything must be balanced. So only the ash from a single tree could pierce the heart of an Original to kill one. My family made sure to burn the tree."

AJ absorbed all this information slowly. She still had a hard time getting over the fact that Klaus was related to him. But she caught up with the conversation. "So if the sun can't kill an Original, why is Klaus so obsessed with breaking the curse?"

"Ah, yes. The curse of the Sun and the Moon," Elijah smiled his half-smile and laughed. "It's very biblical sounding, don't you think?

AJ regarded him, trying to catch on. She really didn't get it. "What's so funny?"

Elijah shook his head, his smile fading. "Klaus was the one who drew up the Aztec sketches, as well as others for any other continent he felt like planting it in."

AJ was now beyond confused. "But… why?"

Elijah sighed. "Think about it, AJ. The easiest way to get your hands on a doppelganger or some long lost moonstone is to have every single member of two warring species on the lookout for them."

AJ felt as if she just weren't grasping what he was so cryptically saying. "So it's not Aztec at all?"

"The curse of the Sun and the Moon," Elijah said quietly, "Is fake. It doesn't exist."

AJ just stared at him, her mouth open. "What?"

"Klaus and I faked the entire thing, dating over a thousand years ago," Elijah clarified.

"But… but if there's no curse, then—"

"There's a curse," Elijah interrupted, "Just not that one. The real one is… much worse, I'm afraid. It's a curse placed on Klaus."

"Elijah, what are you talking about?" Why hadn't he mentioned any of this sooner? A curse placed on Klaus? What?

"Klaus was cursed a thousand years ago, and now you and Elena are his only hope," Elijah said, looking at the waterfall. He was thankful, now that she did choose to come down here. It was very tranquil. He found that he could keep his strange emotions well under control.

"Well, what is this curse?"

Elijah paused, continuing to watch the flow of the water. "Although my family was quite close, Klaus and my father did not get along too well. When we became vampires, we discovered the truth. Klaus was not my father's son. My mother had been unfaithful many years before—this had been her darkest secret. Klaus was from a different bloodline. Of course, when my father discovered this, he hunted down and he killed my mother's lover. And his entire family." Elijah looked down at his shoes before meeting AJ's eyes again. "Not realizing, of course, that he was waging a war between the species that rages to this day."

AJ squinted her eyes. Species? Klaus's true father had been a _species?_ "A war between the species?"

"The vampires… and the werewolves," Elijah said solemnly.

"Wait… so Klaus's real father was from a werewolf bloodline?" AJ asked looking at him with a frown, seeing the pieces of the puzzle but not able to put them together. "What does that make Klaus? A werewolf? Or a vampire?"

Elijah just stared at her for a minute, grim. "He's both."

"Oh. My. God." AJ murmured, thinking over the idea in her head. Both? Klaus was a vampire _and _ werewolf?

Elijah continued with his story. "A hybrid would be deadlier than any vampire or werewolf. But nature would not stand for such an imbalance of power. Therefore the witches, the servants of nature, saw to it that my brother's werewolf side would become dormant."

AJ's mouth opened wide, the puzzle finally put together. "That's the curse that Klaus wants to break?"

"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, Klaus would sever his own bloodline and build his own _race._ It would endanger not just vampires… but everyone."

AJ pushed herself to her feet, her eyebrows pulled together as she looked at Elijah. "But… you helped him."

Elijah nodded. "I helped him because I loved him." He shook his head slightly, looking down, "That's changed now. He must die."

AJ regarded Elijah with a deep frown. "But he's your brother. Is it really so easy to... say that?" She herself had a brother, and although they hadn't spoken in a long time, she'd do anything for him. She'd die for him.

Elijah met her eyes with very solemn ones. "I don't have any other choice. He must be stopped AJ. And..." Elijah trailed off, surprised at himself for nearly telling her.

"And?" AJ prompted. The 'and' had sounded pretty important.

He regarded her, studying her hard. He already had these feelings for her. He knew that. Could he trust her? He believed he could. And so he told her the thing he'd kept most secret. "He's killed the rest of my family and buried them at sea, where their bodies are inextricable. He's taken them away from me, AJ." He looked down now, unsure of what she'd say.

She looked at him sadly. "I see. You care for your family. Well, we have the dagger now. We can stop him then, can't we?"

Elijah ran a hand through his hair. "When a werewolf is wounded by silver, it heals. And an Original can't be killed by _anything_ but white oak ash on a silver dagger. So you see the conundrum? The dagger does not work."

"So what are you saying? That Klaus can't be killed?" The thought made her feel sick.

"There is one way to kill any supernatural species. At the hands of nature's servants themselves."

"A witch," AJ said, her eyebrows raising, " If they can channel that much power." AJ sighed, rubbing at her eyes.

"Klaus will be at his weakest during the transition at the full moon. A witch with enough power _can_ kill Klaus," Elijah told her, his voice anxious.

AJ groaned and put a hand to her head. She knew Elijah didn't know about this part. "What if I told you that I knew a witch who could channel that much power?"

"Then I would tell you something else. Long ago, when Klaus was ready to sacrifice Katerina, I went to the witches to see if there was a way to spare her. There was."

"You found a way to save the life of the doppelganger?" she stared t him incredulously.

"Yes and no." He sighed. "Unfortunately, Katerina took matters into her own hands, first. I believe you already know how that played out," he said briskly.

AJ looked at him softly, sensing something. "You cared about her, didn't you?"

He didn't meet her eyes. He knew he couldn't. "It was a common mistake. And one I swore I'd never make again." A promise he broke to himself. And in a way, he didn't mind. But part of him wished he hadn't. She'd be… much safer without his feelings for her. If word got out about it, she would not only be the Warrior that Klaus needed to persuade, but the woman who held Elijah's heart. He knew of many enemies who wouldn't bat an eye to kill her just to spite him.

She walked slowly over to him, searching his distanced eyes. It was the first time she felt confident enough to try this. She knew he cared for her—she could see it in his eyes often—but she didn't think he cared for her in _that_ way. In the way she could very possibly care for him. "And did you keep your promise?" she asked softly, standing right in front of him.

He found his eyes pulled down to look at her. She looked so caring, so kind and innocent in that moment. She looked beautiful with the way the wind was playing with her hair and the way her bright eyes glinted from the sun. And now here she was, asking him so softly if he had kept the promise to himself to never care for another woman. What was he supposed to do? Lie? He wouldn't. He _couldn't._ Only a month ago, he would have thought the idea to be absurd; for him to be standing here in front of her, _wanting_ her. But he knew, now, that it wasn't. So he did what he thought was right. What _felt_ right. He reached out and caressed the side of her face, gently running his thumb over her smooth skin, saying without words that he hadn't kept his promise. That he cared for her. He saw the look in her eyes grow softer, but with desire. Looking at her with such passion, he brought her face slightly closer to his own. Then he closed his eyes, and leaned down and kissed her.

**Review and tell me what you think!(-:**


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Sorry for the super short chapter. Studying for exams! There will be more romance to come, and much more revealed in the next couple of chapters. It should get very interesting soon.(-:**

Chapter 35

His lips easily melted onto her own. The hand that was caressing the side of her face brought her closer, as close as he could get to her as she pressed herself into his body. He kissed her passionately and feverishly, with need and desire, remembering considerately every so often that she would need air. He tangled his fingers into her thick hair, intertwining them between strands to have a better hold, to keep her close as he moved his lips against hers. He felt her slowly run her hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck, pushing slightly up on her tip toes to have better access to his lips. She tasted sweet and wonderful, something he'd never tasted before, something he could never get bored of. It was something he knew he would always crave. And feeling her so close to him—it was like awakening a part of himself he hadn't known was there—at least not for over a thousand years.

Taking his hands out of her hair, he traced his fingers down the side of her body, resting them on her waist. He could go on like this forever. He could just be there with her, forever, and be happy. And _happy_ had never once been a word he'd use for himself. He heard her sigh as he kissed her a little rougher, with more want and need. But he wanted to be careful. He didn't want to harm her.

She pulled back finally, breathing in and out, as she looked up at him, her eyes full of adoration. She was finally sure. She knew, now, of her true feelings for him. And they were just that—true. She liked him, very much. Maybe even more than 'like'. All she could think of was how wonderful it felt to have him touching her—to touch_ him, _ and to feel his lips on her own, his body next to hers. He was an _amazing_ kisser.

"AJ," he said softly, his hand holding the side of her face again, but he didn't know what to really say. The moment was so perfect, and he didn't want to ruin it. It was something he'd never experienced before, something so beautiful. He'd never forget it.

She smiled up at him, now bringing her own hand to rest upon his. "Elijah," she said sweetly, just leaving it at that, the way he had done. It was all they could say, after what had just occurred between them.

She looked around them, at the beautiful day and the beautiful scene that lay before them and decided what she wanted to do for the rest of the day. She pulled his hand into her own and led him over to the huge rock that jutted out of the side of the forest, hanging over the small pond below as it sat in front of the waterfall. She sat down and pulled him down with her. After seeing what she was doing, he moved behind her to pull her up between his legs, so he could hold her. She curled into his side, her head resting under his chin, feeling blissful and content. His body heat was comforting and wonderful; his body by her own was just that. In that moment, she felt truly happy.

It was amazing to her to finally know that these feelings for him were real. And strong. She was surprised at herself for not realizing it sooner. It just felt to right to be there, in his strong arms. He felt right to her.

As one of his hands rested on the small of her back, the other ran fingers through her soft hair. He could only think of was how she brought him back. After a thousand years of being cold, heartless, and uncaring, as Klaus had told him a vampire _should_ be, _she_ brought him back. In that one moment, she changed everything for him.

She sighed happily. "Elijah," she said very quietly.

"Yes?" he asked, nuzzling his head into her hair. She smelled like strawberries.

"You never answered my question," she said, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck, still resting her head on his chest.

He laughed lightly, musically. "I thought the kiss answered it." He moved part of her hair away to expose her neck, kissing it delicately. "I did not keep my promise to myself, AJ."

"Oh?" she asked playfully, grinning, "And how did you break it?"

He smiled and held her closer to him, putting his mouth next to her ear so he could whisper, "By caring for you."

She smiled and moved to face him. She looked at him for a moment, both of them truly happy, and then she kissed him again. The whole rush of feelings went through him again until she pulled back. Her eyebrows pulled together suddenly as she looked at him. "I care for you, too," she told him, but it sounded odd for her.

He ran a finger over her lips, watching her expression. "And that's strange to you?"

She shook her head slowly. "I just never thought that… well that after…" She trailed off, unable to say his name. She didn't want to upset Elijah. She liked him, the way he was right then. It was wonderful.

"After Lucas," Elijah finished her sentence, showing no signs of anger or resentment. Lucas was gone, now. He was out of her life. And it seemed that Elijah was the one who was in it. He hoped.

She frowned a little, apologetic. "Yes. I just never thought that after Lucas, that I could care about anyone again. Or trust them, really. But I care about you. A lot. And I trust you just the same."

He smiled down at her, pushing her hair behind her ears. Then he kissed her forehead. She giggled, looking up at him. She held out her hand, as Elijah did the same. Hers was so very small in comparison. He intertwined their fingers together, playing with them. Then he frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing together.

He sighed. "This is very dangerous for you, AJ."

She looked at him, confused. "How? You mean we can't… be together?" After what they just shared, she couldn't imagine _not_ being with him.

He shook his head. "No, I mean that it is very dangerous for you should we _choose_ to be together. I have acquired many enemies over the years, AJ. They wouldn't think twice about hurting you, if they found out what you meant to me."

She looked at him seriously, and he returned the stare. "I don't care," she said, her chin up and eyes determined, "I don't care at all."

He laughed, smiling at her, amused. "You of all people wouldn't care at all for your own personal safety. I found that out the moment I met you."

She hit him lightly on the arm, playfully. "I have my reasons. Plus, it's just who I am. Deal with it," she laughed.

He grew serious, though. "What are they? Your reasons?" He had always wanted to ask her this, but he never had a good time to bring it up. But since she brought it up, he thought now was a good time. Maybe he could change her reasoning.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Not now, Elijah." She squeezed his hand lightly, "I just want to enjoy _this_."

After a moment, he nodded, agreeing. "But you will tell me eventually." It wasn't a question or a demand; only an expectation.

"Yes. I will tell you eventually." However, she was in no rush to do so.

They laid there for a while, losing track of time as they relaxed into each other's embrace. The prospect was so new to both of them, so amazing and wonderful that they didn't bother getting up. They didn't need to speak as they sat in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company. At one point, Elijah laid down on the stone completely with AJ resting on top of him, snuggling into him.

It grew dark, and he realized she was sleeping. He smiled as he looked down at her, seeing how serene she looked when asleep. He picked her up gently, her body as light as a feather for his strong arms. He walked carefully back down the hidden path and up to the house, not wanting to wake her. He quietly pushed open the door to her bedroom, and then stopped. He walked down the hallway a little more and push open the door on the right; his bedroom. He easily found his way to his bed in the dark and pulled back the covers, placing her gingerly underneath, but not before removing her flip flops and jacket. After he saw her sigh in her sleep and move on her side, curling up to one of the plush pillows, he undressed. He went over to put on the pants he slept in, and then got in beside her. He put his arms around her warm body, moving close to her. He fell asleep that way, and it was the first time in over a thousand years he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Tell me what you think and give me some ideas on how to spice up their romance!(-:**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 36

She woke in a room she'd never been in before. Sunlight was streaming through the creamy curtains, bringing a warm ambiance into the room. As her senses came to her quickly—she assumed from having such a great night's sleep—so she studied the part of the room she could see. The walls were a rustic chocolate brown color, and the floor was dark wood with a lighter trim around the base. There was an antique dresser with a matching mirror hanging over it in the middle of the wall. There was also a comfy looking chair with a desk and a lamp next to it near the large windows. A couple of books were on the desk. Elijah's arms were around her, down at her waist, as his head rested near her own. She smiled. She was in his room—in his bed, it appeared. She must have fallen asleep the previous night and he brought her here.

"Good morning," he said, smiling down at her. He'd been watching her sleep for the past half hour.

She turned a little on her side to face him, smiling as well. "Good morning. I'm assuming that you carried me here after I must have fallen asleep outside last night, and not that you somehow managed to get me drunk...and other things. Do I assume correctly?" she giggled, raising an eyebrow. She already knew the answer.

He laughed, "Yes. You assume correctly. I would never get you drunk, AJ. Especially not to get you in bed, if that was something else you were implying," he stuck his chin up, mock arrogantly, "I believe I could do that with you completely sober."

She laughed and punched him playfully on the arm, "Shut up. We're so not talking about that."

He raised a teasing eyebrow, "Oh? And why not? You are in my bed at the moment, are you not?"

She laughed, shaking her head as she looked at him with humor, "I may be in your bed, but I'm not _in bed_ with you. There's a major difference, Elijah."

He gave her a wicked smile. "I'm well aware."

She frowned suddenly, her logic finally returning to her. "What time is it?"

Elijah glanced behind him at the clock in his room. "Nine-fifteen."

AJ shot up and out of bed. "Alaric is going to _kill_ me!" she said frantically. She looked down and realized that she was already dressed, but she knew she still had to take a shower and get into different clothes.

Elijah sat up, but more calm than she had been. "What are you talking about?"

AJ didn't let herself get distracted by Elijah being shirtless, although it was hard. "I'm talking about promising him I'd make it to first hour more often. Mid-terms are soon and he said that I may have a perfect A, but he wanted to see me actually in class more often. That, and Elena and the others are going to be _so _pissed." Then she froze completely. "Oh my god. What am I supposed to tell them about—"she stopped, not wanting to offend him.

He raised an amused eyebrow. "About us?"

Looking at him sheepishly, she said quietly, "Yes…"

He laughed. "AJ, do you even have to tell them? Does it matter what they think?"

She sighed. "Well, no, not really. But they are my best friends. And they won't be happy about it—not at all." She frowned, feeling horrible for having to say that to him. But it was the truth, and she was sure that he knew it.

Elijah emerged from the bed as well and walked over to her, taking her face in his hands gently. "Not telling them yet won't offend me, AJ, if that's what you're thinking. I understand that they will have some reservations about it, and that they are important people to you. You decide what you want to tell them or do not want to tell them." He looked down at her with complete sincerity as he stroked her face.

She looked back up at him, her eyes undecided. "Maybe if you let them see this side of you—the kind, caring side rather than the cold, dark side—maybe then they wouldn't have such a problem with it. Have you ever thought of that?" She wasn't accusing him of being… well, harsh on purpose, but she was curious if the thought ever occurred to him.

He laughed lightly, but shook his head and sighed. "AJ, love, _you_ are the only one who can see this side of me. If others did… like I told you last night, it would be very dangerous for you."

She nearly sighed in delight at being called 'love' so sweetly, but she focused on his point. "And for you, too?"

He nodded. "Yes. But I am not worried about that. I care only for your well being."

She looked away from him, sighing, "I wish you wouldn't say that. If something happened to you, Elijah, then I—I don't know what I would do. So please don't say that."

He tilted her chin up so that she would meet his eyes. "Nothing will happen to me. Or you, for that matter. Don't worry about it, AJ. I will protect you."

She nodded, looking away again. Then she looked at the clock. Nine twenty-five. Damn.

"I have to go," she told him, pulling his hand away from her face but holding on to it. "I'll take my car and I'll be back later. Will you be here?"

He thought for a moment. "I should be back around five. I have errands."

She nodded. She didn't want to know what kind of 'errands' he had. She was sure it was something to do with Klaus. She left his room quickly, on her way to her own to shower and get ready. Once she had dried her hair and gotten dressed, she rushed out the door and into her car. Speeding the whole way there, she managed to make it to the school just in time for fourth hour. But unfortunately, that was the class she had with Stephen and Elena. She dreaded having to keep her new relationship with Elijah from them, but she would figure out a good time to tell them. Or at least she hoped.

She walked into the class, tardy, but there nonetheless. Elena gave her a look, questioning where AJ had been. AJ just shrugged as she took her usual seat in front of the couple. She couldn't very well bluntly tell them that she had been so cozy in Elijah's arms—oh, _and_ his bed—that she hadn't woken up on time. No, she didn't think that would go over well.

"Alaric isn't happy with you," Stephen whispered to AJ as Mr. Robinson began his lecture.

"Thanks for the warning," she replied quietly, careful not to get on Mr. Robinson's bad side that day. She just wanted to get through the class, go to lunch, and then get through the other ones. School had always been a sort of torment for her, even though she wasn't sure why. She loved to learn, she just didn't like the learning _environment_, she supposed. But who really did?

After an awkward lunch dodging questions from basically everyone at the table, including Jeremy, AJ found herself going quickly through the remainder of the day. She nearly fell asleep in one class, but repeatedly pinched herself to keep from doing so. It was almost two thirty, and then she could leave.

And then it _was_ two thirty, and she was so happy to get back to the estate that she could barely contain her excitement. She noticed the leery look Elena gave her before she got into Stephen's car as they drove off, but that had been all. AJ sighed in relief. She had made it through the day—well most of it—successfully.

But, of course, that had been when a dark car pulled into the emptying parking lot. Its windows were tinted completely black, so AJ couldn't see inside. But something was telling her that it wasn't good. Especially when it stopped in front of her. She gripped her cell phone in her hand, ready to speed dial Elijah if she needed to, when the back window of the car rolled down. Mafia much?

She bent down a little to peek inside. And sure enough, there was Klaus, sitting on the opposite side of the car from her. His face bore no smirk nor look of arrogance—just complete seriousness.

"AJ," he said in his accented voice, "Get in."

She laughed, genuinely amused. "Yeah, right."

His stare bored into her. "I am not joking. Get in."

She smirked at him. "Sorry. My mother told me not to talk to strangers. She said not to get into their cars, too. So—"

"Warrior," his voice beckoned her silent. "Get. In."

She laughed again, but without humor. "Of course, my mother also told me I didn't have any common sense. I suppose she was right." AJ opened the door to the car and slid in, the leather seats cool under her exposed skin since she was wearing short shorts. She closed the door behind her, the idea of it shutting felt ominous. She had a bad feeling.

"I suppose this is us 'sitting down for a chat'," she said, mocking his accent. She could see that he was clearly in no mood for her sarcasm. She didn't care. The car pulled forward in motion as the driver took them on the road. AJ didn't know where they were going.

"Yes, well, I find that it's becoming even more troublesome to keep track of you these days. Tell me, AJ, do you really feel such a need to hide from me?" Apparently he _was_ in the mood to mock her with his cocky smirk.

She sighed dramatically. "I thought we already went through this. I simply needed a change of—"

"I am far from _stupid_, Warrior. Do not treat me as if I am so. It will not end well for you," he threatened. She could see his fangs peeking out of his mouth.

She stayed silent a moment, thinking. "You won't hurt me, Klaus. You want me on your side," she stated, believing it to be the truth.

"You're useless to me if you refuse to be on my side," he said coldly. He was scrutinizing her; every expression that crossed her face became subjugated to extreme examination. He was tiring of not understanding why this _one_ Warrior was so very different from all the others. He would figure her out. Even if he had to take matters into his own hands.

"But there is always a chance, isn't there? That I could choose to be on your side?" She didn't mean it. Well, she knew part of her did, but her more dominate part—the good side—didn't mean it. She was with Elijah. He was good. She would protect Elena and her friends. She would remain on their side, even if she had to die for them. But a part of her disagreed.

He raised an eyebrow. "I suppose there is. But if you continue to reject, of what use are you to me, Warrior?"

It was a rhetorical question and she knew it. She squeezed her fists together to hide her trembling hands. Something _really_ wasn't right. She could feel it, now. "What are you planning on doing?" she asked in the strongest voice she could manage.

He smiled at her wickedly. Then she heard the car doors lock.

As much as she hated to admit it, it appeared her mother was truly right. Common sense was something she lacked in a severe way.

**Review and tell me what you think!(:**


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Sorry this is so short. I haven't had much time to write this week, due to school ending and other things. I'll get back to it ASAP.(-:**

Chapter 37

Klaus told the driver to hurry to arrive at their destination, not even glancing at AJ. Then he pulled out his phone and texted someone with his vampire speed, then snapped it shut. If the Warrior wouldn't comply with him yet, then he would have to figure out ways to make her. He would have to figure out her weaknesses.

"Klaus. _Klaus,_" AJ said, trying to keep from panicking as she got his attention. "This is a bad idea. When the others realize I'm gone, they'll—"

"They'll what, AJ? 'They'll come looking for you?'" he mocked, laughing. "They can look for you all they want. They won't find you. And even if they did, what could they do about it? I'd kill them all in seconds. So trust me, AJ. You don't want your friends to find you." A thought occurred to him that should have much earlier. Perhaps her friends were her weakness? But her witch friend, Bonnie, was dead and the Warrior still remained on the doppelgangers side, despite the fact. She obviously already knew that the doppelganger would have to die for the sacrifice, too, so he didn't see much of a threat in that. But if she were truly of a pure heart, could he simply threaten the life of any random human being, and she would cave? Or would it make her that much more determined to reject him? Because of the blatant fact that she was far from being similar in any way to the other Warriors, he couldn't be sure. And _that_ was something he wasn't used to.

"Klaus, what do you plan on doing? Torturing me? Threatening me?" she asked, looking at him incredulously. She still had a hard time digesting the idea of him _kidnapping _her after she _willingly_ got into his car. She wanted to hit herself for how stupid she had been. The fact that the car was a closed off space and was easy to keep someone in should have been her first warning sign. But of course, she had no common sense. She hadn't realized the danger she was in.

He studied her after she spoke. She looked angry and panicked, no matter how hard she tried to hide it from him. He was beginning to think that if he_ did_ have to torture her, then perhaps it would be a last resort. If he began with it, it would probably only make her madder, more determined to be against him. But how else could he try to convince her?

"I do not plan to harm you, AJ. I wish only for you to see that you should be helping me instead of trying to stop me," he told her, "If you continue to stay on the doppelganger's side, then it will not end well for you. You already know her fate—her _destiny_, AJ. Why allow yours to be the same when you could just as easily change it by making the simple choice to aid me?" He raised his eyebrows at her. He could see absolute determination in her eyes. She was a peculiar thing, to him. She was so very devoted to her friend. The other Warriors had at least been the same in that way, but many of them were either easy to tempt or threaten, their weaknesses being so very clear to him, while others had stood by their values until he killed them. But he knew she was so very different. Why? What made her so special? Was she good? Or was she bad? It was truly that simple.

She shook her head vigorously, trying to remain calm and at the same time trying to keep the darker side of her from coming out. She could feel it at the edge of her mind. It seemed to… well, almost like Klaus. Darkness goes with darkness. "No, Klaus. I don't believe in destiny or fate or anything like that. Elena doesn't have to die. I can stop it." And Elijah may or may not have something to revive her. "I can stop _you._ I won't give in Klaus. You might as well not waste your time and just let me out of the car."

He laughed. "We shall see if I'm wasting my time or not, AJ. I have many plans."

She swallowed hard. The darker side of her was happy. That was not a good thing. She didn't know for how long she could keep it under control. It seemed that every time she was around Klaus, he would bring it out of her. He'd make it amplify, rather than shrink in the way it did when she was around Elijah. The brothers were very different. But she could see the wicked glint in Klaus's eyes, and she feared for what his 'plans' were. She feared for the darkness within her. Was the better part of her strong enough to fight it?

X x x x x x x x x x x X

Elijah returned home around five-thirty, parking in one of the large garages the estate had. As he got out of his car, he straightened out his suit and began walking towards the front door, anxious to see AJ. It was strangely quiet—he expected to hear AJ doing _something_. Normally she would draw, or play one of her guitars, or sing to occupy herself. She seemed to enjoy those things.

As he entered the house, he noticed that everything looked the way it did before he'd left earlier that day. That was strange. Normally some things would be at least very minutely different after AJ would return from school. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Perhaps she had been tired and went to sleep? He sped up the stairs and stopped at the closed door to her room. He put his hand on the doorknob lightly and quietly opened the door, peeking in.

Nothing. She wasn't in there. He, himself, walked in, his eyes circling the room. Her room looked untouched as well. Maybe she had decided to go out to the waterfall? Or out on the trails? He used his vampire speed to race back down the hall and the stairs, then outside to the trails. He stopped at the edge of them and listened for a moment. He could hear wildlife all around, but he couldn't hear anyone else. He couldn't hear AJ. To be certain, he went to the waterfall—the place he expected her to be the most if she was in fact out here. But she wasn't. It was empty of her bright presence. He went back to the garages, noticing for the first time that it was void of her car. Was she with one of her friends?

He finally pulled out his cell phone and called her. It immediately went to voicemail. Now he was worried. Very worried. Before, he had fully expected to find her, somewhere around the estate. He was used to her wandering. But now he felt that something was very wrong. He knew it. He decided to call her closest friend to see if they had had contact with each other in recent hours. Perhaps she really was with Elena, and her phone just died? It was a definite possibility, but one his wise mind told him was very slim.

"Hello?" Elijah heard Elena ask with confusion in her voice. His number wasn't in her contacts, so she wouldn't know it was him.

"Elena," he said smoothly, careful to keep any traces of worry out of his voice, "This is Elijah. You wouldn't happen to be with AJ at the moment, would you?"

There was a pause. "No, Elijah. She's not with me. Why?"

Elijah repressed the sudden urge to break the phone. He'd never experienced being so concerned for a human in his entire span of living. Well maybe not living, but undead. "She isn't here. She's supposed to be," Elijah said, strained. It seemed that hiding his worry wasn't going to be that easy. His bad feeling was amplifying.

"I—I saw her last at school, in the parking lot. She was walking to her car when Stephen and I left. Maybe she went somewhere? Like driving or something? I'm assuming you tried calling her already. She didn't answer?" Elena sounded scared and worried. Elijah figured that the fact that _he_ sounded worried made things worse for the doppelganger.

"No. It went straight to voicemail." Normally, Elijah would have found the doppelgangers words useless by now, but he figured they weren't after thinking about it. She knew AJ better than anyone did—except for him. But she knew of things that he thought maybe he didn't know. She could be of some use. "You say you last saw her walking to her car. Did you happen to see her drive off?"

Elena paused again. "No. Oh _god_, no. I should have waited to make sure, though, I shouldn't have been so preoccupied—"

"Do not jump to conclusions so quickly," Elijah said, chastising, even though he was feeling the same way. "I will go to the school and see if her car is there." He hung up. For a moment, he just stared at the ground, a thousand different thoughts reeling through his head. Where was AJ? Why wasn't her phone on? Was she hurt? Was she just driving around, doing something to get an adrenaline rush? Or did it have something to do with Klaus? _Was she okay?_ The question repeated in his mind over and over again.

Only last night had he first kissed her, showed her how he truly felt about her. It'd been a very big risk for him, but once she had reciprocated, he had felt something change within him. Something new and old at the same time, wonderful and intimidating, even for him—an Original _vampire._ The thought was ludicrous, yet very true. His feelings for her were strong. And he had meant it when he had said _that very morning_ that he cared only for her well being. And within a few short hours, he had failed her. He felt that, very deep inside of him, he felt that. But he would check the school parking lot. He had to be certain.

What would normally take a twenty minute drive took only a little over a minute to get to the school grounds. That was when the dread filled up inside of him—something he had never truly felt before. There her car sat, alone in the parking lot.

For the first time in a _very_ long time, he feared for someone he cared about. Klaus had AJ. He was sure of it. But he would get her back. No matter what, he would get her back.

**Review and tell me what you think. (-:**


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

Chapter 38

"The more you resist, the worse things will get for you," Klaus advised as he looked back at the Warrior struggling to get away from the two servants who were dragging her to the house. She had her legs stuck out in front out her, digging into the ground as she tried to hinder them. He had to admit, although only to himself, that she was very resolute.

"Well maybe if you had asked me _super_ politely to walk _myself_ up to the damn house, then I wouldn't have to freaking resist!" She yelled back at him, angry for being man-handled. She passionately _hated_ that. The servant's fingers dug into her skin, making her bleed as they dragged her farther up the dirt driveway. She had been surprised that she hadn't immediately seen a manor like the one Elijah owned, but there were so many trees around the drive that she couldn't really see anything. She wondered how much further it was to the house. The car ride hadn't been particularly long, which was good. It meant she wasn't too far from Mystic falls, if out of the town at all. As she continued to squirm and elbow at the servants, she looked around, making sure to take in every detail. Yes, there was basically a forest surrounding them, but that didn't mean she couldn't use it to her advantage later on.

Before she could memorize any more of what was around her, they were coming upon the house. It was elegant, but half the size of Elijah's. In some ways, she wished Klaus knew about Elijah. It would provide her with many come backs and retorts that she knew Klaus wouldn't like, and she could use all the sarcasm she could get with him. But she was glad that he didn't know. She knew that if he did, it would probably put Elijah in danger and it would definitely ruin their plan. She internally sighed. _Why_ had she gotten into the car? Why had she thought it would simply be the 'sit down and chat' he'd spoke of before, when she had once contemplated the idea of him kidnapping her? She was angry with herself—_almost_ as angry as she was with Klaus. Bastard. But could she completely blame herself? He probably would have just forced her into the car anyway. That made her feel a little better. But only a little.

The house truly was elegant, and although it _looked_ to be old, it was far from it. Unless it had been redone recently, because she saw no traces of even a little chipped paint on the porch.

They were just about to near it—Klaus was already inside—when she finally got a really good elbow in on the servant on her right. They were both human, but extremely muscular. She was happy when she felt the bald one's nose break. He cried out, releasing her arms immediately to hold his busted nose. She moved quickly to kick in the back of the knee of the other one and clap her hands over his ears. He fell to the ground, holding onto his head. She knew Klaus had most likely been alerted by now, but she took the opportunity she made for herself. She tore off into the woods, leaping over fallen logs and pushing through scratchy foliage. She felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the need to escape putting all of her senses on high alert. She _had_ to get away—her darker side was emerging more and more, and she couldn't let it. Being around Klaus did that to her, and she had to get away from him. She wasn't sure how far she had gotten as her breathing became labored, although she was pretty sure she could have gotten fairly far with how good she was at running. That was when she sensed someone behind her.

Within an instant, arms were wrapped around her, holding her close and preventing her from moving anymore. She struggled again, kicked and elbowed and did anything out of sheer panic, but she had known her chances of getting away were little, if none at all. And it appeared to be not at all in that moment.

"AJ," Klaus said, sounding neither mad nor mocking as he held one arm around her body and used the other to catch her flailing arms, "I admire your perseverance. Now, would you _please_ walk to the house?" He had said the last sentence with a bit of humor, wondering if she would actually comply since he asked her to do it herself, which was what she had screamed at him just a few minutes ago. When he had heard his servants cry out, he'd been utterly surprised. How had she managed to break one's nose and leave the other one on the ground, nearly in _tears?_ She was a very strange girl. And smart, too. He would give her that.

Struggling in his arms was useless, and she could see that easily. Her shoulders slumped a little. "Do I have any other option?" she asked weakly. She was tired. She just wanted Elijah.

"No." Did she really think he would release her? Perhaps she wasn't as smart as he thought.

She nodded her head, feeling him release his stone grip on her. She turned around to face him, but didn't have it in her to glare. She just looked up at him once, meeting his blank dark blue eyes, then trudged the rest of the way back to the house. She'd find another way to free herself. She would have to.

When they reached the house and were on the porch, he held open the heavy looking door for her and gestured inside. "Ladies first."

She found it in her to glare at him after that remark, and then walked briskly into the house. She was in a spacious living room, and after looking around she could see entrances to a kitchen and another hallway, as well as stairs leading to the second story on her left. She was glad they were close to the front door. She also noticed a closed door on the far right wall. She wasn't sure what that led to.

"AJ," Klaus said as if they were acquaintances of some sort, to her amusement, "Please," he gestured at the seats surrounding a large fireplace, "Sit down."

She considered stomping over to sit down, but she knew it'd be too childish. Feeling like a prisoner was getting to her already. She walked over to a single chair and sat down in it, watching his every move as he went and sat across from her.

"I would like for your stay here to be as pleasant as possible, so please try to refrain from breaking any more of my servants," he said to start off with. Dennis and Andrew had been, in fact, his more capable servants when it came to having the Warrior around. She successfully ruined that. He would have to find others.

She smirked at him. "Yes, I'll try to keep my fists to myself. And as for a pleasant stay? I'd much rather live with some psychotic serial killer than you. Oh, wait. That _is_ you. Go to hell, Klaus." She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him, letting every single ounce of anger she contained to show.

He fixed a cold stare on her. "I wish for your sarcastic comments to cease, AJ. They test my temper far too much, and believe me, you don't want to do that," he said threateningly.

She scoffed. "Why not? Because you might hurt me? Kill me? I'm really not expecting anything other than that," she retorted, shrugging.

He looked at her seriously now. "Are you truly willing to give up your life AJ? When you could just—"

"As easily choose to save myself?" she interrupted him, earning a death glare, "Yes, you have made that option _very_ clear Klaus. And from what I've seen from you so far, dying is far better than helping you."

He absorbed this information. So maybe showing her some kindness would win her over? Maybe then she would accept? As he looked at her then, he saw all of the scratches covering her arms, legs, and even her face. He saw the blood on her arms from when his servants had dug their nails into her. After all this, she showed no signs of feeling pain. How odd.

"AJ," he said, surprising even himself at how gentle he sounded, "I apologize for my ways. I see that you are injured, and I would like to offer you my blood so you may heal." Was that kind enough? Would she see how very rare it was for him to _ever_ speak such words? Her eyes—a surprisingly bright hazel—narrowed at him.

She scoffed. "No thanks. And as for your _apology_, not accepted." She knew it was immature of her, but she didn't care. Accepting an apology from Klaus could easily doom her to her darker side. She wouldn't allow it. Feeling its presence in her mind growing was making her nervous. But she would hold out. And she wasn't stupid. He was just trying to butter her up.

He looked at her, confused and a little shocked. She refused his blood. She refused his apology. What was wrong with this girl? It was as if she knew nothing of his extremely nefarious reputation. "Are you so foolish to be that way, Warrior? Do you not care for your own well being?"

She just shrugged, glaring at him still.

She was so very atypical of the Warrior that it was intriguing. How could one as important as she was be so careless? So imprudent and senseless? The fact that she even dared to look at him the way she was—to _glare_ at _him_—told him that she was perhaps very special. Did she feel no fear? Was she void of emotion? No—she was angry with him. And she cared passionately for the doppelganger. So she could feel. But did she feel _fear_? He questioned this the most because even the strongest vampires would cower away from him. They would squirm in his presence. Her demeanor only told him that she was extremely unhappy—but she wasn't afraid or anxious. At least from what he could tell.

Suddenly a girl AJ had never seen before entered the living room. She had black hair and chocolate skin, and looked very similar to—oh god. She looked like _Jonas._ Dread found a place in AJ's stomach as she looked at the girl, but she masked it easily.

Klaus turned around, sensing someone's presence. "Ah, Greta," he said, pleased, "You are in time to meet the Warrior."

Greta looked from Klaus to AJ, her eyes slightly widening. "She's accepted?" she asked, astonished.

Klaus's sudden pleasantness turned into annoyance like pushing a button. He glared at Greta. "Not yet. Would you please get our guest some tea, Greta?"

Greta looked between them quickly again and nodded, but not before she frowned at AJ. AJ returned her frown with a blank stare. She didn't know if Greta was on Klaus's side or not, from the way the girl interacted with him. Before, AJ would have steadfast felt the need to save the girl—that was why Jonas and Luka had been working with Elijah in the first place. But now AJ had reservations.

Klaus returned his attention back to the young Warrior in front of him. "AJ, I am trying to be civil with you, but you keep making things worse. Tell me, what is it that I can do so that you'll see I'm not so horrible to work with?" he asked reasonably.

She laughed. "Nothing. There is absolutely nothing you can do to get me to help you," she told him, even as part of her opposed the statement. It knew exactly what he could do. But she pushed the thought out of her mind.

"You would truly rather die?" He asked, curious.

"Yes. As I have said many times already, I would rather die than work with you," AJ said as if it were obvious. And to most of her, it was.

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes at her, studying her every expression. She could easily mask what she was feeling, like vampires did, but she couldn't hide the extremely minute changes. No human could.

AJ paused for a minute. Suddenly, Elijah's face came into her mind. His wonderful smile, his chocolate liquidly brown eyes. Elijah. He would be so angry at her for acting so careless. So _reckless_, as she used to acting. He had been the one to detect her death wish in the beginning, when he had first met her. Even her friends hadn't realized it. And he had told her just that morning that he cared only for her well being. He wasn't worried about himself. Would he come looking for her? Was he already? She had to believe that he was. That idea alone terrified her, rather than comforted her. If he actually found her, then so many horrible things could happen. Klaus could kill him. She realized with such strong anger against herself in that moment that she should have been more careful. If not for her, then for Elijah. Was she really so indifferent about dying, now that she was with him? Did she really not care about what could happen to herself? She wanted to be with him. She wanted to feel his warm embrace, his sweet lips, and his hot touch. She needed him. And she wouldn't let him down. So she would have to escape from this place without any help. And she'd have to do it soon.

"You haven't answered my question, AJ," Klaus said as patiently as he could, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Why would you rather die than help me? I would make sure that you could live pleasantly, having anything you pleased. The only thing you need to do is accept my offer. So why would you rather give your life up?"

She rubbed her eyes and looked at him, then looked at the darkness that gathered outside. She knew Elijah would be very worried by now. Meeting his dark blue eyes once again, she thought of how she could get away from here. And one odd thing randomly came to her. But she really didn't want to act like Katherine did—the whole doing two brothers thing, wrapping them around her finger. Maybe it wasn't her only choice, though. She would have to see.

"Can I sleep on it?" she asked, letting her tiredness show through. If he was trying to be civil, then surely he would allow her to get some rest.

Klaus studied her. She looked exhausted and worn out from the day. He'd already had a guest bedroom made up for her upstairs, but he didn't have any more humans around that were capable of standing watch. He'd have to give up his sleep for the night, which wasn't that big of a deal for him. "Yes," he said kindly. "Let me show you to your room."

AJ prayed that one of her plans would work. She needed to get away. She needed Elijah.

**Review and tell me what you think!(-: Elijah will be back soon. I miss him.(;**


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

Chapter 39

It was still dark when she woke in the room Klaus offered her. She assumed it had to be early in the morning, probably before six. It was a nice room, not nearly as nice as the one Elijah gave her. She was glad for that. And surprised that Klaus would offer her such an accommodation. She knew, though, that he was still trying to get her to accept. She wondered if anyone was awake. If Klaus was.

She got out of bed—Greta had given her shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in—and tip toed over to her clothes, her feet not making a single noise. She changed from Greta's clothes back to her own, leaving her shoes off but carrying them in her hand. She wouldn't be able to run without them. And if someone was up, it would alert them. She walked noiselessly over to the door and opened it, peeking out. She saw nothing but an empty, dark hallway. Slipping through the door, she closed it carefully behind her. Then she proceeded to go over to the stairs. Her eyes were easily adjusted to the darkness, so she could see very well. And she was glad that the wooden stairs had a cloth going down them in the middle. She knew its purpose was purely for décor, but it would help her remain quiet. Earlier when she walked up the stairs, she had memorized exactly which one was creaky and which wasn't. As she walked down the stairs, she was surprised and disappointed to see a light on somewhere in the living room. She crouched and quietly put down her shoes, then continued going down. She might as well see who was up and on watch.

After a quick peek around the corner of the wall that separated the stairs and the living room, she saw that it was Klaus. He was sitting in a chair, drinking blood and reading, still wearing the clothes he had worn earlier that day. She internally sighed. She should have figured.

She contemplated going back up to bed, but didn't feel like it. She was already wide awake, so she might as well get something to eat. She walked down the last step, stepping into the light.

Klaus looked up at her, mildly surprised. He hadn't heard anyone up, but he had been focusing on his book.

"AJ," he said, taking her in. She was back into her clothes, but not wearing her shoes. "Good morning. It seems as if you were sneaking around. Hoping to escape, were you?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow with a smirk.

She huffed and crossed her arms, then turned back to the stairs to grab her shoes and pull them on. It was already completely obvious that she had been trying to leave, and her feet were cold. "A girl can dream, can't she? Besides. I'm hungry." She gave looked at him once, then walked over to where she had seen Greta go to get the tea the day before.

The kitchen was nice, but again she found herself comparing it to Elijah's. Elijah's was better. She opened up a few cabinets, looking through to see what he had. She found a bowl and a spoon already, but she had yet to find cereal. And she was excited when she did. Ooh. Frosted Cheerios. She wasn't sure if Greta had good taste, or Klaus. But she was as happy as she could be for a prisoner.

After pouring herself a bowl, she walked back out to join Klaus. No use in avoiding him, since she was used to being blunt all the time anyway. She wondered if she would have to put her Katherine scheme to use.

"Did you sleep well?" Klaus asked as he studied the girl. She didn't look tired, and the scratches on her arms were gone. The only things that were left were the gouges from the servants. He knew Warriors healed faster than humans, it just differed from Warrior to Warrior.

"Fine," she said shortly, still thinking about what she'd have to do to make her plan work. She wondered if Elijah would be angry or understanding. She wasn't happy about it at all, but she figured it'd be a last resort. She'd see how else she could escape before she tried that.

"Not in the mood to talk?" Klaus asked, minutely narrowing his eyes at her but trying to stay civil, nonetheless.

She met his eyes. She really didn't want to start the Katherine plan, but she didn't want to ruin the chance for it either.

"Is there anything to talk about?" she asked, trying her absolute hardest to not be rude.

He paused. "I suppose it would be a bad idea to ask if you've made up your mind at the moment."

She nodded. The way they were picking their words was like a dance, she could see. They had to be very careful, and yet perfect at the same time. Everything was subjugated to examination. He didn't want to make her angry, and she didn't want to make him angry.

He sighed, but was surprised at himself for knowing she would do that. She was a mystery to him, and yet he understood her ways? Another odd thing about her. "May I ask," he began quietly, watching her carefully, "if you know why you're so different?" He remembered the look on her face when she had admitted to him that she didn't understand herself either. She had looked helpless and lost. Had she figured it out yet? Had she even tried?

She let her shoulders fall a little when they really just wanted to straighten out. He still didn't know, and she was relieved, but she was also automatically on alert. The darkness was spreading, however slowly, and she getting tense. But she shook her head, almost sadly. "I don't know." Then a thought occurred to her. Klaus wouldn't share the same reservations about past Warriors that Elijah did. "Why do you think I'm so different? What were the others like?"

The sun was beginning to rise as he looked at her. He only saw sincere confusion in her eyes. "The others were either completely good or completely bad. I could always tell one from the other—it was very easy, you see. If they were good, they were stubborn about it until I killed them. They were always cautious, always so very meticulous. The good ones were never very happy though. And how could they be, since they had to be so careful all the time? They always had to think five steps ahead of me?" He gave AJ a pointed look. Then he continued. "The bad ones were careless and reckless. They were daredevils in the truest sense. And they, ironically, cared for no one but themselves. They were selfish and greedy, and easy to tempt. They were usually very happy. _You,_ AJ, have similarities with each of them, and yet at the same time with neither of them. It is as if you are entirely your own person, as if you decide the way you are, rather than fate deciding it for you. That has never happened with a Warrior before. Do you understand what I mean?"

She nodded her head, but refrained herself from going wide-eyed. It should be obvious, then, that she was both, shouldn't it? Or maybe she was just paranoid. He seemed to think that she was neither good nor bad, rather than being _both_. He assumed she was human in the way one could be anything in the moment they chose to, and she was grateful for the first time in her life that someone assumed something about her. She wasn't sure what he'd do if he knew about her being both good and bad.

He studied her as she thought. She looked sad and lost again. He'd almost pity her if he wasn't as uncaring as he was. The _thought_ of pitying her was surprising to him. To pity, one must feel bad or have sympathy. He never felt either of those.

Suddenly, they heard someone walking down the stairs. Greta. She looked tired yet somehow awake at the same time. She waved at AJ and Klaus on her way to the kitchen. The cereal AJ had had was plentiful, so AJ didn't feel bad about taking any of it if it was Greta's. She wouldn't have let herself feel bad if it hadn't been, either. She was almost positive that Greta was here willingly.

A cell phone rang just then, and AJ recognized it as Klaus's. He pulled it out of his back pocket and opened it, saying nothing as he did the last time. Then he closed it and stood up.

"My apologies, Warrior, I must be off," Klaus said, looking down at AJ, "We will continue our conversation later. I do hope you take some time today to think about your decision." Then he turned his head to the kitchen. "Greta," he called. She popped her head out, looking at him expectantly. "I am needed. Please look after our guest and… don't forget to feed the pet. And Katerina," he said bitterly.

AJ was surprised at the mention of both a 'pet' _and_ Katherine. She had a feeling the pet wasn't a cuddly puppy. She was curious about what kind of creature could intrigue Klaus so much that he'd keep one. And she was also curious about Katherine. Where was she? AJ looked to the closed door on her right. Was she in there? Or down there? AJ suddenly decided she didn't want to find out. She may have saved Katherine that one time, but she still didn't like her. She deserved being here with Klaus. AJ tuned back into what was going on.

Greta nodded, and then returned to the kitchen. Klaus was gone in a flash. And in that same moment, AJ realized the opportunity she was presented with. She nearly grinned, but refrained from it, even though no one was around. It was just her and Greta, and a few human servants somewhere. And Katherine and a 'pet'. But she didn't pay any mind to the last two.

AJ got up with her bowl and walked into the kitchen. Greta was sitting at a table in the corner, eating Frosted Cheerios and reading a magazine.

"Hello," AJ said friendly as she walked over to the sink to wash out her bowl. Next to the sink, on AJ's right, were knives. On AJ's left, hardly a foot away from her was Greta. She didn't think fate could have played more of a role in her life, in that moment.

Greta looked up at her, surprised, and smiled. "Hello Warrior. Have you made your decision yet?"

AJ continued washing her bowl, and to buy her more time, did other dishes, too. She shrugged. "I'm still kinda thinking about it. How does Klaus treat you?" AJ asked curiously as she pretended to focus on the dishes when she was really keeping both the knives and Greta in her peripherals.

Greta smiled big, "Oh, he's wonderful. You wouldn't think it, but he is really quite charming. He lets me do whatever I want. He knows I won't turn on him." Greta spoke of Klaus with such adoration that AJ was a little stunned.

AJ glanced at Greta for a moment. "Why are you helping him?" she asked curiously again. She knew which knife to use. She almost felt bad for planning on doing this to such a young girl, but she figured Klaus would give her blood when he got back. Something like that, at least. Maybe she could heal herself? How powerful of a witch was she? The thought made AJ a little hesitant, but she would follow through. This was the perfect plan, and beat seducing Klaus by a hundred times. If she could have even managed it.

Greta shrugged and returned half of her attention back to her magazine. "He promised me—"

The girl was cut off—somewhat literally—when AJ quickly grabbed the knife and plunged it into her throat. The sound was disgusting, as well as the sight, as Greta choked on her own blood. AJ left no time for Greta to even manage some sort of spell as she fled through the kitchen's archway, through the living room, and out the front door. But then she stopped immediately. She was far from town, if she truly wanted to run there. Where had Klaus put her phone when he took it? She went back into the house, looking around frantically. She saw so many places where a phone could be hidden, but her intuition told her it wasn't downstairs. So she ran upstairs. The door to the room she had stayed in was the first on the left, so she continued down the hallway until she came upon another door. She opened it quietly and peeked inside. No one was in there, but it appeared to be a grand bedroom of some sort. And girly. Greta's room. Would Klaus have given the phone to the witch, thinking AJ would assume he had it or be too afraid of how much power Greta had? It was a definite possibility. AJ went into the room, pulling things off shelves, opening drawers, looking in even the smallest places when an idea hit her. She ran over to Greta's bed and lifted up the pillows. There it was. She had to give the young girl some credit for putting it there. That way AJ couldn't have gotten it last night without waking her up.

AJ snatched up the phone and turned it on as she began running out to the hallway and out of the house again. She was breathing heavily in and out when she saw that it was fully on. Then she used her speed dial 13. She decided that running down the driveway to the road was too risky. She went into the woods again. The phone ringed once, then Elijah answered, to her relief. She stopped for a moment, panting.

"AJ? AJ is that you?" Elijah asked, sounded as frantic as her heart felt.

"Yes, yes it's me! Elijah, I'm about thirty miles out of town, east from the school. I'm in the woods," she said hurriedly as she began running again. She'd never realized before how hard it'd be to hold a phone to her ear and run in the forest at the same time. She nearly tripped at several points.

"I am on my way," AJ could hear the wind on his side; she assumed that he was using his vampire speed. "Stay on the phone. How did you get away? Are you hurt?" Unlike AJ, he didn't sound out of breath.

"Well," she said, panting, "Can it wait until you get here?"

"Of course."

She kept the phone to her ear as she continued to run, but her legs were starting to hurt. That, and she was full of scratches again. They covered her legs and her arms, and some of them were back on her face. They stung.

She heard him speak again. "AJ I need you to stop at wherever you are. I'm thirty miles east from the school. You're in the woods?"

"Yes," AJ breathed as she halted. She looked around. All she could see was the forest, but she knew there was a road to her right. "There's a road to my right. I'll go to it."

"Okay," Elijah said. He still sounded worried.

She reached the road, and her legs felt like they would give out from exhaustion. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as the adrenaline continued to pump through her body.

"I'm at the road," she managed to say. She bent and put a hand on her knee, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly she heard more of a whishing sound, and there he was. She was so happy to see him, she could have cried. He walked right over to her without hesitance and put his hands on either side of her face.

"AJ, I have been—"

She cut him off when her lips found his, melting onto them perfectly. It was like the first time all over again—only better. When she had been with Klaus, she hadn't been sure if she'd see Elijah again. And now here he was, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her back with passion and desperation. After another minute, she pulled back and looked up at him.

"Thank you, Elijah," she said quietly.

He bent and picked her up, bridal style. "We're going home. Your friends want to see you, but we are going home first."

She nodded and just wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling into his chest. It was the best feeling in the world.

**Give me your thoughts!(-: How's the story? Is it boring you yet?(-;**


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 40

When they got back to Elijah's home, he hadn't even thought to put AJ down. He went right into the living room and sat down on a couch, keeping her on his lap. He could sense how exhausted she was from escaping. Her head was still on his chest and her eyes were closed, but he knew she was awake. He put his arms around her, holding her closer, drinking in the moment. She was back, with him. She was safe now. He kissed her lightly on the head.

She slowly opened her eyes and pulled up to look at Elijah. She smiled at him.

He smiled back, but he was still very concerned. He reached out and moved some of her hair behind her ears. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

AJ shook her head. "He didn't hurt me. I'm fine, just a little scratched up from the forest," she said, shrugging at the scratches. They'd heal within a day.

Elijah held out one of her arms, looking at the minor cuts. He kissed her fingertips, and then kissed her lightly up the arm. She giggled. He put her arm back around his neck and pulled out a small knife from his pocket. She looked at him, confused, as he made an incision on the side of his neck. His ancient blood began to run out of the wound.

"Drink," he said, lifting his head up a little to give her better access. She smiled. She knew that _he_ knew it'd only take a day for her to heal, but he was offering his blood anyway. And she remembered the last time that it tasted _wonderful_.

She moved to straddle Elijah, giving her a better position so she could place her lips on the cut. She intertwined her fingers into his hair as she let her tongue glide out over it. His blood truly was the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted. She sucked and nipped at it, knowing that it was a sensitive spot and feeling the reaction she was giving him as she straddled him. She smiled as she continued to drink and tease him at the same time. He moved his hands onto her hips, firmly planting her there. He had to refrain himself from moaning in pleasure—as much as he wanted to, now wasn't the time for those things. Even though he _really_ wanted to.

After another moment, he spoke up. If he didn't, he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to resist. "AJ," he said, his voice strained.

"Hmm?" She continued to lick at the precious blood and suck on his skin.

He lightly began pushing her away. When she resisted, he gently grabbed her hands that were in his hair and brought them down to her lap, holding them. "AJ, you must stop."

She pulled back and pouted at him. He found it to make things even worse—it was incredibly sexy, and she even had a little bit of his blood on her lips. He looked away, trying to focus on something else.

"Elijah, I can tell that you—"

"We have things we need to speak about, AJ," he interrupted, returning his eyes to hers to give her a pointed look.

She pouted again but caved. "Fine," she huffed. She didn't move from her position, though.

Elijah sighed, but continued. He put his hands on either side of her face, searching her eyes. "AJ, love, how did he get to you? Elena said that she saw you walking to your car, and that was it. How did he get to you?" he asked again.

She closed her and groaned, angry at herself all over again. "I was so stupid, Elijah. I wasn't thinking. I _never_ think, I just act. He had said before that sometime he wanted us to 'sit and chat' or whatever. So I was on my way to my car when _his_ car pulled up. He told me to get in, and said he wasn't joking. I could tell he wasn't in a good mood, so I did. I willingly got into the car," she shook her head, holding a hand to it. "I can't believe I'm so stupid!"

"AJ," Elijah said quietly, stroking the side of her face. "You aren't stupid. If you hadn't done it willingly, then he would have forced you. You could have gotten hurt. I'm glad you did what you did."

She opened her eyes, surprised. "But I didn't think, Elijah! I knew, beforehand, that there was a possibility he would want to take me. And I didn't think about it in the moment he was going to!"

Elijah was a little unhappy now. "Although I still think you made the right choice going with him willingly, I am not happy you didn't tell me that you thought he would _kidnap_ you, AJ. Why wouldn't you tell me something like that?"

She sighed and looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry Elijah. I just figured that if you thought so too, then you'd try to stop it when it was happening. And nothing good could have come out of that. _You_ could have gotten hurt or killed, and our entire plan would have been ruined to kill _him_."

Elijah studied her and nodded. "I see your reasoning. But I still don't like it. He could have… done things to you, AJ. You have no idea," he said worriedly.

"Then why don't you tell me, Elijah?" She looked at him, hopeful.

He shook his head. "I'm not going to. I don't want you worrying about it, and you haven't had a nightmare in a while. After what happened to you, though, I don't know if that'll remain the same for tonight. But I'm still not going to scare you with it. So please don't ask, AJ," he gave her a pleading look.

"Elijah, I haven't had many nightmares because _you're_ here. And you'll be there tonight, won't you?" He nodded, kissing her fingers. "So why don't you just tell me?"

"AJ—"

She groaned. "Fine. Have it your way. But I'll have you know that it takes a lot to scare me, Elijah."

He laughed, "Yes, I know that. You are the bravest creature—human, vampire, werewolf, or witch—I know."

She laughed, too, and smiled at him. But he grew serious again.

"How did you manage to get away from him?" Elijah was very curious. The last person he knew of that someone escaped from Klaus was Katerina. And that had been very long ago, and ended in very different ways. He pushed the thought aside.

AJ cringed a little upon remembering Greta choking on her blood. "He said he had many plans for me, when we were in the car. Well, I had a lot of plans, too, to escape. But none of them were going to work—well, one of them _could_ have, but I wasn't going to use it unless I had to," she said, frowning, but moved on before he could ask questions, "He got a call this morning from someone and said he needed to leave. He left me under Greta's supervision. She'd been in the kitchen, and, well, as I was talking to her, I kind of…" she trailed off, appalled at herself for what she'd done. Thinking it and saying it out loud made something sound totally different. "I kind of stabbed her. In the neck." She cringed again.

"I see," he said, studying her. He could tell she hadn't liked to hurt the girl, or very well kill her. But it would definitely help them if Greta was dead.

AJ looked at Elijah, wide-eyed, "Elijah, did you know that Greta was actually on _Klaus's_ side? I couldn't believe it!" She waited for him to share her same reaction, but it never came. His face remained blank. She looked at him, her eyebrows pulled together.

He sighed. "Yes. I knew," he said simply, his eyes looking at anything but her.

AJ looked at him incredulously. "You _knew?_ So you let Jonas and Luka think there was a chance of getting her back, when there really wasn't?" Now she wasn't happy with him.

"AJ, it was the only way to get them to agree. They were very powerful, and I needed them to find you. And to keep you safe," he said sadly, trying to get her to understand. He truly hadn't felt bad for what he did back then, but AJ changed him in that way. He at least felt bad that it was upsetting her. He wasn't sure if he truly felt guilty for lying to Greta's family.

AJ huffed. "So Jonas and Luka were given false hope because of _me._ Fantastic."

Elijah shook his head, "I didn't mean it like that, AJ. But I'm sorry." He gave her a look that said just that.

She stared at him a minute, then sighed. "Okay. You're forgiven. Just—please don't do something like that again. Especially not for me." She gave him a level look.

He returned it. "I would do anything for you. I told you I only care for _your_ well being. I felt bad for making you upset just now, but I wouldn't blink to make sure you are well and okay above someone else. I won't lie to you and say otherwise."

AJ caressed his face but looked at him sadly. "I wish you wouldn't say that. I can't stand the idea of someone getting hurt because of me, Elijah."

He put his hand over hers. "Yes, well, you are far more important than most people. Not just in the sense of my feelings, but in other matters, too."

She sighed. "I liked it better when I was drinking your blood."

He grinned wickedly. "So did I. And I would gladly resume, but your friends are worried about you. I'm sure you want to see them?" he half asked and half stated.

"Yes, I would love to. We'll just… have to get back to the other thing later," she winked at him, happy. She was finally back where she belonged—in Elijah's arms. But she was afraid of one thing. Her darker side had stopped spreading as soon as she left Klaus's home. But it hadn't receded back to its usual amount. Now it was a bigger part of her.

**Tell me what you think and how I'm doing!(-:**


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 41

"AJ!" Elena rushed up and out of her seat in the Salvatore's living room, throwing her arms around AJ in a bone-crushing way. AJ suddenly had a flashback to when her best friend had done the exact same thing when they thought they killed Elijah. She shook off the thought. It disturbed her. She hugged Elena back with the same intensity, glad that Elijah gave her some of his blood, or else it would have been a little painful.

"Elena, it is so good to see you!" AJ exclaimed. She felt as if she hadn't seen her best friend in a long time. She always found Elena to be relaxing and cheerful; she needed her presence.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Elena asked seriously, searching AJ for any signs of an injury.

AJ laughed. "No, don't freak out Lena, I'm fine." Elena gave her a stare. "Seriously. I'm okay," AJ shrugged.

Elena beamed. "That's great! Bonnie would be here, but well, you know. She can't leave that house yet," Elena said sheepishly, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"I know. I can go see her later," AJ said. It wasn't a big deal that Bonnie wasn't there because she _couldn't_ be. She was just happy that Bonnie was _alive_. So she didn't mind in the least. But she would have to tell her about Greta—if Greta survived. AJ wasn't sure if she wanted the girl to live or not. She was a little perturbed to find out that even her darker side was undecided.

Damon and Stephen had greeted her with relieved smiles. AJ could tell that Damon was pretending he hadn't been worried, but she knew he had been. She winked at him, saying without words that she knew. He narrowed his eyes at her. Alaric and Jeremy were present as well, but each greeted AJ with a hug. Jeremy had been especially panicked—she could tell. Elijah was with them, observing the scene from the side. He knew that her friends didn't like him, and he knew that they didn't know about him and AJ. So he decided to stay out of the conversation for now, even if from time to time he'd get a weary look from Alaric or Damon.

"So when you were in the house, did you see or hear anything about his plans?" Stephen asked wisely as they all began to sit down.

AJ sighed and settled down into a loveseat. Elijah came and sat beside her, much to everyone's surprise. "Unfortunately no," AJ answered, looking at the ground with a frown on her face, "I was a little preoccupied trying to get out. But now that you mention it, I should have looked when I had the chance." She shook her head, once again disappointed in herself.

"You did what was wise and got out," Elijah said, surprising everyone again. But he looked only at AJ, who was now cradling her head in her hands, frustrated.

"But I should have at least looked! It would help us right now," she said miserably. She couldn't help but think once again that she _never_ thought, she just acted. She felt stupid, right then, for not being having any information to tell her friends. She felt useless.

"AJ," Elijah said, his voice alone brought her eyes up to meet his, "You're well being is far more important. Yes, we do need to have an advantage over Klaus and information on what he's planning would be just that, but you forget that _you_ are our advantage. Do you understand?" He asked, searching her eyes, looking for a sign that would tell him her self-loathing was over. Alas, he saw it.

"Yes, I understand. But still—"

"No. That is all," Elijah said with finality, "Now about Greta. Is there any chance that she survived?"

AJ shrugged, repressing another cringe. What she did to Greta would forever haunt her. "I'm not really sure. If she survived, then it would be because she could heal herself or Klaus got back in time. But I don't see any other way how."

Elijah nodded. "Her absence would be another advantage. He needs two witches, and without her he would only have one. I'm certain that he already has the other one."

AJ looked at Elijah, confused. "If he had another witch, why didn't I see him?"

"Maybe that was who called him," Elena suggested. AJ had told everyone the full story of what had happened.

"Maybe," AJ said as she looked off, thinking. Then she remembered. "Oh and there's something else. Does anyone know what kind of… creature would intrigue Klaus so much that he'd keep one as a pet?"

Everyone looked at her as if she just spoke pig Latin while wearing a hula skirt.

"I take that as a no…" she trailed off.

"You say 'pet'?" Elijah asked, regarding her differently than her friends. He looked to be deep in thought.

"Yes. Before he left, he told Greta to be sure to feed the 'pet'. I'm assuming he doesn't like the usual domesticated dog or cat. So what could it be?" She asked, leaving the question open for anyone, but she looked at Elijah. He just shrugged as he continued to think, but she had a distinct feeling that he was keeping something from her. She'd have to talk to him about it later.

"Okay, since no one else has it in them to ask, I will," Damon said, looking pointedly between AJ and Elijah. "What the heck is up with you two?"

AJ and Elijah both looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?" AJ asked. But she knew what he meant. She was being evasive, and she felt guilty for it. She just didn't know when the right time was to tell them.

"Oh don't give me that crap, AJ," Damon said _giving_ her a don't-give-me-your-BS look, "I know full well that you're keeping something from us."

"Watch the way you speak to her," Elijah warned Damon. AJ felt he was being completely obvious about what she was hiding from them. She wondered if it was on purpose or not.

Damon raised his eyebrows, "Since when do _you_ tell me how to speak to her? She's my friend after all. I believe I have the right to call her out on her bullshit when she's being evasive."

Damn Damon for knowing her ways. She felt a little helpless, sitting there with everyone looking at her curiously.

She looked over at Elijah, who had been looking at her. His eyes held the question if she wanted to tell them or not. Hers held indecisiveness. She bit her bottom lip and looked around.

"Okayy…" AJ trailed off, feeling like she was crossing the Rubicon, even if saying may have called for a different occasion. But that was how she felt. "I guess now's a better time than any to tell you guys." She looked over at Elijah again for support. He nodded at her. She sighed and looked back at her friends before she let her hand rest on Elijah's. She heard a few of them gasp. Elijah played with her fingers, trying to get her to be comfortable. He could tell she wasn't. "Guys… Elijah and I are sort of… well he's my—" she stopped and looked at him again, a little confused. They never really had established this part. He was her boyfriend. They were just seeing each other? They were a couple? Which way was she supposed to phrase it?

Elijah decided to step in and help her. He saw why she was confused. "She is mine, and I am hers. But this cannot be told to anyone. It's very dangerous."

AJ felt his older way of saying it—the whole 'mine' thing—was probably the best way to describe what they were. She didn't feel right calling him he _boyfriend—_it was just weird. She was relieved that he spoke. But she saw the surprise on everyone's faces—the mouths open as they stared at AJ and Elijah, absorbing the information.

Damon would be the one to speak up first, of course. "You're_ what?" _he asked, looking between the two with wide eyes. "Oh you have got to be _kidding_ me," he muttered.

Elena was stuttering. "AJ—I—why didn't you—oh my gosh," she said, looking at her best friend incredulously. Then she finally managed to form a sentence. "Why didn't you tell me? How long?"

AJ looked down at her and Elijah's intertwined hands, feeling guilty yet elated to be touching him at the same time. "I would have told you sooner—I just didn't know when the right time was. And… I don't know, for a while…" She didn't dare meet anyone's eyes.

"Exactly how long is _a while?_" Damon asked, giving her his crazy angry eyes. She knew he'd be mad. She just wished he'd understand.

AJ shrugged, keeping her eyes down.

Damon stood up, his whole body emanating the anger he felt. "That's just freaking great, AJ. And I told you that you were falling for the guy, too. Freaking great," he muttered as he briskly walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. He needed something to calm him.

Elijah raised his eyebrows at the phrase 'falling for the guy' but didn't say a thing. He knew AJ was already on edge about her friends being upset, and he didn't want to add to it.

"I'm sorry," AJ said, addressing all of her friends. She sighed deeply. "It's getting late so… I think we'll just go." AJ stood up, Elijah standing with her as they still held hands.

Bringing her eyes up from the floor she looked at each of her closest friends. "Just… please try to understand," she said, and then she walked out of the living room and out the door, Elijah close behind her.

**Review and tell me your thoughts! (-:**


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Sorry this is such a short chapter. I'll have more for you tomorrow!**

Chapter 42

"AJ," Elijah said softly, walking into her line of sight. They'd just gotten back from the Salvatore house, and AJ was perched on one of the breakfast bar stools, staring blankly out the window over the kitchen sink, her elbows propped up on the table. "AJ," he said again.

She blinked twice, and then focused on him, a frown on her face. "What?"

Elijah sighed and leaned on the table. "You've been staring off into space for the past ten minutes. What are you thinking about?"

AJ tore her eyes away from his and rubbed at them. "Nothing important."

"AJ," Elijah chastised, "Tell me." He reached out and caressed her face, making her eyes open again.

She sighed. "I just wish they would understand. It's not like it's a big deal! Besides, you're still protecting me _and_ them from Klaus. Isn't this kind of a good thing?" She thought aloud. How could they not see that her actually being with Elijah made things even better for them? How could they not see that it made him more trustworthy? She didn't know. It was as if they were all blind when it came to Elijah. They just didn't _want_ to trust him.

"They just need time to absorb the information. Once they do, then they'll understand," he said softly, trying to get her to feel better. He didn't like it when she looked sad.

"I hope so," AJ said, sighing again. She thought Elena would understand. And Caroline and Bonnie. Maybe even Stephen. Damon would be stubborn about it, if he even accepted it at all. And it seemed she wasn't the only one remembering Damon's harsh words.

"May I ask you something, love?"

She looked at him, curious. "Sure."

"While we were there, Damon used the terms 'falling for the guy'," Elijah began, a slight smirk on his face, "Now, I believe I am familiar with today's slang, so does that mean that—"

AJ groaned, "Elijah!" She buried her face in her hands to hide her blush.

"It's simply a question," Elijah said, and she didn't have to see him to know he was grinning.

AJ shook her head. "Then ask another question. I'm not answering that one," she looked at him, showing him how serious she was.

He frowned, disappointed, but was thoughtful. He thought back to their conversation earlier, about the things he'd wanted to ask her then. He was very curious, but he wasn't sure if she'd answer this one either. "Do you promise to answer this question?" He asked, giving her a pleading look. He felt bad for binding her to her word, but it was the only way he thought he could get a straight answer.

She was disappointed in herself for finding his look absolutely adorable. She sighed. "Sure, why not. Although I'm betting I'm going to regret this…" she muttered to herself.

"What was your plan? The one you had for Klaus, to escape—the last resort?" He asked curiously.

She groaned again. Yet another thing she didn't want to talk about. Of course. "Elijah—"

"You promised," he reminded her, trying to hide his devious grin.

"And you knew I wouldn't want to talk about it," she pointed out, pouting at him.

He shrugged. "I'm very curious." He grabbed her hand and began playing with it, every now and then kissing it. He looked at her expectantly.

"What if I begged you to ask a _different_ question?" She asked, trying to play all the cards she had at the moment. She didn't want him to know what her other plan had been, especially since she didn't have to use it. Why had she even mentioned it earlier? She internally chastised herself.

He shook his head. "You promised, AJ. I keep my word, I'm simply asking you to keep yours," he said, placing a kiss on her wrist.

She sighed. "What if I told you that you don't _want_ to know?"

He shrugged," I'd tell you you're wrong. Now I'd very much like to know." He let go of her hand and sped to the other side of the table to her, standing between her legs. He thought maybe this would work. Slowly, he brushed the hair out of her eyes, softly running his hand over her smooth skin. Then he bent down and began kissing her neck, slowly and gently at first, then nipping at it, his fangs sliding out just a little. She held back a moan as she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. He began moving down her neck to her collarbone, going further until she finally tried pushing him away.

"Elijah, that's not fair!" she whined, pouting again.

He laughed. "What's not fair?" He played with her hair, twirling it around his fingers.

"You trying to seduce me into telling you—that's not fair," she crossed her arms and glared at him. Talk about irony.

He sighed, but smiled a little, "You still liked it. And AJ you _promised_. So why are you so reluctant to tell me?"

She didn't meet his eyes. "I already told you that you wouldn't like it."

He narrowed his eyes at her, searching her face. What exactly was she hiding? "What exactly won't I like about it?" He asked seriously.

She still didn't look up. "Everything."

"Oh?" His eyebrows rose. What could have been so bad that he wouldn't have liked her plan to escape _Klaus_? "AJ you can tell me."

She shook her head. Before, she wondered if he'd be upset or understanding. Now, as she sat right in front of him, she knew that he'd be upset. And she didn't want to get him mad at her when they'd been doing so well. At least not _that _mad.

"AJ," he said, low, serious. He didn't like the expressions he could read off her face. "Tell me."

"And if I don't? What would you do then?" She asked, challenging him. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't think of any other way to end the conversation. And she _really_ needed to end the conversation. She knew this would make him mad, but he'd be even more upset about her plan. She'd have to take her chances and hope he'd not take it too horribly.

"AJ, I—"

"Would you hit me, Elijah? Threaten me?" She looked up at him sadly, feeling extremely guilty for saying such things to him. But she didn't want to tell him about the other thing. She didn't even want to think about it.

He glared at her, but that was all he did. "Do not confuse me with Lucas, AJ. I would never lay a hand on you like that. You _know_ that. And I'm not _stupid_. I realize that you are truly that desperate to not tell me, that you would say such an ignorant thing to me." He shook his head, his glare boring in to her. "But have it your way. Goodnight," he said bitterly, pulling his hands away from her.

Maybe she thought wrong? Maybe that made him a lot angrier than the plan would have? She just knew that she felt extremely remorseful for saying that to him as she watched him walk away. "Elijah!" she called out, trying to get him to come back. She'd rather tell him now if it meant he wouldn't be mad at her.

He continued walking down the hallway and up the stairs, going into his room and closing the door with a definitive thud. He couldn't look at her after what she'd said. It hurt him like he'd never hurt before for her to imply that he'd _ever_ harm her.

She was left in the kitchen with tears in her eyes and emptiness in her heart. She couldn't help but once again think that she only ever _acted_, she never thought before she did anything. And now Elijah was mad at her and she didn't know what to do. She would tell him in the morning, she decided. Maybe then he would forgive her. She needed him, and she knew she wouldn't sleep that night.

**Review and tell me what you think so far! Out of curiosity, how do **_**you**_** think Klaus should see AJ again? I have several ideas, but I'm not sure which one to use yet. Give me some feedback (-:**


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 43

She walked silently down the stairs, seeing him sitting at the breakfast bar shirtless as he ate his breakfast. And it appeared his cup was full of blood. She held back from cringing.

Last night she'd gone to bed in her own room after he'd blatantly shut her out from his. She hadn't slept at all with the thought of what she'd said to him haunting her. She shouldn't have pretended that he'd be _anything_ like Lucas had been. She knew he'd never hurt her. But she'd hurt him, with her words. She walked into the room, dressed in skinny jeans and a cute tank top to go with them. She walked around the island breakfast bar to stand in front of him, her eyes averted, not daring to look at him. She was scared, and it was obvious in the way her hands were trembling. She set them on the counter to force them to cease, but they still did, however minutely.

She chanced a look at him, but saw that he was focused on not looking at her. She felt awkward, looking off to the side, trying to figure out what to say.

"Elijah," she said quietly, "Good morning." She still didn't look up at him, but she heard the glass he was drinking out of return to the counter with a small thud. She was surprised he didn't break it.

"Good morning AJ," he said bitterly, "Did you sleep well or did dreams of me hitting you haunt you all night?"

She looked at him, taken aback, but then averted her eyes. She should have figured he'd say something like that. "I deserve that," she said, still quietly. She sighed and looked at him again. "Elijah, please look at me." He didn't. "Please," she begged.

His eyes were piercing and precise. She could see that he wasn't as angry as he had been last night, but he wasn't exactly all hunky-dory either. He raised an expectant eyebrow. She suddenly wished she hadn't asked for him to look at her.

"Elijah," she began, feeling tears brim in her eyes again. She hastily wiped them away. She didn't have the right to cry since she was the one who created this mess. "Elijah, I am so sorry. You were right when you said I was just trying to avoid telling you about… my plan. What I said to you was stupid and childish, and I'm really sorry. I know you'd never treat me like that, I just—I didn't want to upset you by telling you the other thing, and I thought that I could get around that by saying what I did. I thought you'd be madder about the plan, but I guess I was wrong. I didn't think," she said miserably. She looked down to the table, wiping away more tears that were trying to escape. She took in a deep breath and met his eyes once more, seeing that they were blank of any emotion. His guard was back up. She looked down, not wanting to see the emotionless look he was giving her. She just wanted the kind and caring one to return, but she wasn't sure if it would. "Since I've already screwed things up so much, I guess it couldn't get much worse by telling you." She sighed. It'd been a bad plan, and yet a good one at the same time. It could have gotten her to freedom, but it would have been testing her limits on just how far she could take her darker side. And she wasn't sure how long she could have held out. _And_ she would have had to tell Elijah, like she was doing now. "I was desperate to get out, and I thought that this would've had to have been an absolute last resort. The thought of doing it sickened me," well, only half of her, "and I just—I don't know. I wasn't even certain that it'd work." She wiped more tears away from her eyes. She'd never wanted to say this out loud. Pushing her hair behind her ears, she sucked in a breath for strength. "I'd thought that, well, maybe trying to seduce him would work…" She trailed off. The room was dead silent, for how long she wasn't sure. Fearfully, she looked up at Elijah.

His eyes were ablaze with fury. "You thought _what?_" He asked incredulously. He zoomed up and around, putting a hand on either side of her, his face only inches away from her own. "You thought that _seducing_ him would be a good plan? How could that _possibly_ be, AJ?"

She couldn't tell exactly what he was mad at, but she was afraid that maybe it was her all over again. What _else_ could he be mad at? She was shaking, now, with fear—a fear she never once held before. She was afraid of losing him. "Elijah, I was _desperate_. I thought I would never see you again!"

"And you thought sleeping with my half brother who himself is half _Original vampire_ and half a dormant werewolf was a good idea?" he asked, still staring at her with shock and anger. "Tell me, AJ, did you ever think of what would happen afterwards?"

Well when you put it that way. "Okay, I wasn't exactly planning on sleeping with him! I just wanted him to think that I was on his side! I thought it would get him to let his guard down, Elijah! I just wanted to get away!" She defended her plan frantically, even though she knew she shouldn't have.

Elijah looked at her very seriously. "Even if you hadn't planned on sleeping with _him_ AJ, he would have expected it from _you_. He would have made you, no matter how many times you would have begged him to stop. My brother is a monster, AJ. Don't ever forget that," he said with pure anguish.

She didn't understand his unexpected turn of emotions. Hadn't he just been mad at her only a few second ago? Now he sounded distressed and in pain. "Elijah?" she asked searching his face, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head slowly, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked to the floor. "If you'd had to use that plan, AJ, it would have been my fault. Everything that would have happened to you after that would have been my fault."

She didn't understand. "Elijah, it would have been _my_ fault! I was the one who thought of the stupid thing in the first place!" How she came to be reasoning with him to not be so hard on himself rather than begging for forgiveness from him, she wasn't sure. But she was sure that it would have been her idiocy that would have resulted in the things that would have happened.

Elijah shook his head again. "No, AJ. I failed to keep you safe from him when he took you. And if you would have had to use that plan, then I would have failed at saving you. It would have been my fault. And—and you would have belonged to him, then. Even against your will, you would have belonged to him."

The pain in his eyes was more than she could bear. She put a hand on his chest, looking at him sadly. "Please don't say that. Elijah, it was my fault that he took me in the first place. And—and I just wanted to get back to you. I needed you, Elijah," she told him, trying to comfort him somehow. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, resting her head on his shoulder. "Elijah I will always belong to you. _Only_ you. I—" she stopped for a moment, surprised at herself. But then she continued. "I love you, Elijah."

He had been wrapping his arms around his as well, but when she last spoke, his entire body tensed. They were the three words he'd never imagined anyone could say to him. And here she was, this beautiful, precious girl he'd claimed as his own, and she was telling him that she loved him. He was speechless for a moment, absorbing the words. Not too long ago, he would have thought the idea of someone being capable of loving him to be absolutely and completely absurd. He would have thought that _him_ being capable of _loving_ would be impossible. But it seemed that she could always change everything, and she didn't even realize it. She was the most precious thing he'd ever been graced with holding in his arms, and he hadn't even told her that yet. He closed his eyes as he pulled her close, relishing her warmth and the smell of strawberries in her hair, relishing her touch and the feeling of her breath on his skin. She was so soft and fragile, yet so brave and strong. She was everything to him, and she was still an enigma. But his enigma.

He brought his mouth close to her ear. "I love you, too, AJ," he whispered. The foreign words felt like the most wonderful things he'd ever said before.

**Tell me what you think!(-:**


	44. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

Chapter 44

_His lips were hot on hers, melting on them with a powerful and desperate force. He brought a hand up and sank it into her hair, pulling her even closer to him but the amount of space left between them was far too much for him. She was surprised when, without breaking their kiss, he pushed her up against the wall, eliciting a moan from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, digging her fingers into his skin, causing him to kiss her more passionately, more desperately. For too long, she was kept away from him. But now she was in his arms and on his lips and nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. She pulled away for a second, just so she could look at him. His deep blue eyes held the ever present threat of the danger that he was, but she didn't care. She just wanted—_

AJ woke up, her heart frantically beating as and her breathing coming out as pants. She felt light-headed and odd. She felt extremely disturbed by her dream.

"Are you all right? AJ?" Elijah asked, already sitting up. He woke at the same time she did, sensing that something had happened. He studied her in the darkness. She, too, was sitting up with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She looked scared.

"Yes… I'm fine," she answered him automatically, but her mind was still thinking about her dream. About Klaus, and how wrong it was. She cringed and held a hand to her head.

Elijah moved next to her and pulled her to his chest, running his hands up and down her arms soothingly. She was obviously not fine. AJ closed her eyes and breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. The dream didn't mean anything. It couldn't have. It was just a _dream_. And she had Elijah right there to remind her of that. His presence alone was helping her greatly.

"Another bad dream?" Elijah asked quietly, even though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to know what had been so terrible about this dream to scare her so much. Nothing ever scared her.

"Yes. But it's not a big deal. It was just a dream," she told him, trying to reassure herself at the same time.

Elijah sighed and moved to kiss her head. "It was a nightmare. And you're shaking, AJ. Please tell me what's bothering you," he asked pleadingly.

She had been so focused on replaying the dream to try and figure out _why_ she'd had it, she hadn't even noticed she was trembling. "I'm just cold. And it's nothing Elijah. Just a dream."

"AJ… It was about Klaus, wasn't it? They usually are. You know you can tell me these things," he urged, holding her tighter in his arms. Then he scowled. He knew she couldn't see. But he was angry with his brother for causing her to be so frightened. He wondered if Klaus was using his abilities to manipulate the mind now, since he hadn't heard her cry out like she usually does. This had been subtle. Could it be possible?

AJ sighed but snuggled closer to him, feeling safe in his arms. "Can we please just forget about it, Elijah?"

He thought for a moment. It very well could have been Klaus's manipulation. And Elijah knew how he usually started out with them. He could understand why she didn't want to talk about it. It'd probably been ten times worse than her other dreams. "Yes. If you want to."

She nodded her head, "I do." She lay in his arms for a few more minutes, taking solace in him as he rested his chin above her head. She was thinking. Well, she was trying to keep herself from thinking about the dream. "Elijah, I have a question," AJ said quietly.

"Yes?" he asked. He bent down and placed a kiss on her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. And the good kind, too. He could tell that she was starting to feel better.

"Do you remember what I told you about what Klaus said to Greta about the 'pet'?" AJ asked, trying to distract herself. It really _had_ been bothering her for a while, and she hadn't come up with any reasonable thing that Klaus would keep as a 'pet'. A dragon maybe? Did dragons exist? That was a... disturbing thought. And what would someone name a dragon? Apparently nothing if he called it the 'pet'. She felt that she was being successful in distracting herself.

Elijah's body tensed around her. "Yes, I remember," he said, sounding uninterested. Although he was anything but.

Noticing his change, AJ was even more curious. "So do _you_ know what it could be? I mean, he's your brother and you used to, well, be on his side and all. What could it possibly be?"

Elijah decided to ignore the 'used to be on his side and all' comment. He knew she meant no harm by it, but the thought of it made him feel sick. He would never have her in his arms if he was still supporting Klaus. He was grateful that that had changed long ago. "I'm really not sure," Elijah said as he dipped in to kiss her neck, only this time he let his tongue slide out and his fangs graze it. He knew she like that. He hoped it would get her off track.

AJ sighed and closed her eyes, relishing the feeling, but she was still thinking about Klaus's 'pet'. And Elijah's obvious attempt to sway her from asking anymore questions. "Don't underestimate my intelligent _and_ self control, Elijah," AJ said as she was still enjoying the feeling of his fangs whisper over her neck, "You're not telling me something. Remember how absolutely _wonderful_ things turned out the last time _I_ didn't tell _you_ something? Imagine it reversed."

He growled, but not at her. At the idea of her being upset with him. He removed his mouth from her neck and moved her so that she was straddling him. He did it so that she could face him. At least that was what he told himself.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, but kept a distance away from his lips. She wouldn't let anything like that distract her. She looked at him seriously and expectantly.

Elijah sighed, running his hands gently up and down her arms. "For one, the last time you didn't tell me something happens to be right now, love. But I respect that since it's probably… very hard for you to talk about. We can always talk about it later, if you'd want to. But AJ, this isn't something you would want to know. It would upset you."

AJ laughed, genuinely amused. "Isn't that the same thing I told you?"

Elijah gave her a level look. "I suppose it is, but I'm serious AJ. You needn't worry about these things. You're already having bad dreams again."

AJ huffed and pulled her arms back to herself, crossing them. She ignored the 'bad dreams' part. She was distracting herself and she wouldn't let the images come back. "And you didn't think that I was being serious when I told you that _you_ wouldn't want to know about my plan? And I was right, wasn't I? So tell me, Elijah. I don't want us not talking again," she said pleadingly. She pouted at him.

Elijah was silent a moment, weighing the pros and cons of telling her. He didn't want them not talking again either. And he knew that she'd known worse things. But he didn't want to give her more nightmares. He would be there with her, though, wouldn't he? He'd always be there to comfort her if she did have them. But he couldn't be if she wasn't speaking to him. So he decided that telling her was his best option. He pulled at her hands and held them, looking at her. "Klaus has been known to keep… humans as what he calls 'pets', AJ."

She looked back at Elijah, her eyes wide. "Humans? Why would he keep a _human_ as a _pet?_" Dragons would have been _so_ much better.

He sighed and looked away from her. "He uses them for a number of things. Sometimes he just keeps them to feed off of them continuously, especially if they have a rarer blood type that he enjoys or a unique scent. Sometimes—if they're women—he'll use them for… other things." He felt her tense up at that. "And sometimes I don't know why the hell he keeps them. To play with their minds, maybe. I'm not sure, AJ, I only know that what he calls 'pets' are humans he's taken against their will."

AJ was absolutely revolted at the thought of Klaus keeping a human for any of those reasons. Especially the idea of him using women for… _that._ The idea made her feel dizzy and light headed. And she felt even worse because there had been one in his home that she could have _saved_. But she hadn't. She'd left the person there to be subjugated into doing whatever Klaus wanted them to do. She felt guilty. She felt like a horrible person.

Reading her expressions, Elijah caressed the side of AJ's face, getting her to look at him with sad eyes. "AJ, you couldn't have known." He stroked his thumb up and down her cheek, hating the sorrow he saw in her unusually dimmed hazel eyes. And it wasn't because the room was dark. He could always see them perfectly.

She shook her head, "I should have. I should've at least checked it out—to make _sure_ that there was no one else there like me. To make sure there wasn't another prisoner." She cast her eyes down.

Elijah sat up straighter, causing AJ to shift. He tried to ignore the feeling it gave him as best as he could. He put both of his hands on her face, pulling her close and looking into her eyes. "Do not blame yourself," he shook his head slowly, seeing that she still was, "AJ, it isn't your fault that Klaus is as demented and heartless as he is!"

She kept her eyes down. "How long does he usually keep them for?" she asked quietly, "What happens when he doesn't feel like he needs them anymore?"

Elijah shook his head, "It's not important—"

"Yes it is, Elijah!" She said, looking at him with desperation, "It's very important! I could have saved this person, but I didn't!"

He closed his mouth and it settled into a grim line. He didn't know what he could do to make her feel any better other than to answer her questions. But he was afraid she'd do something stupid if he did. He took in a breath, studying her sad and guilty posture. He hated seeing her like that.

"AJ," he said, getting her to look at him, but he didn't return it. He looked at their hands, hoping that this was a good idea to tell her and not an absolutely horrible one. "He is unpredictable in how long he'll keep them for. Maybe months, or even years. Maybe days or less than that. There's no way to be sure. And when he decides he no longer wants them… he kills them."

AJ stomach dropped as she searched Elijah's downcast eyes, "I get the feeling you still aren't telling me everything again. How exactly does he kill them?" she asked with reluctance.

Elijah sighed. It seemed that she knew him as well as he knew her. Which was thrilling to him, in many ways, but intimidating in others. "He likes to make it interesting," he said shortly and detached. He'd never approved of Klaus's activities such as these even before he'd been on the Warriors side. After it was silent for a few moments, he glanced up to look at her. Her eyes were shut and there were tears trailing down her face. He caught some and wiped others away, then pulled her close to him, resting her head on his chest. She complied and laid there, thinking miserably about what she did and how she could have saved whatever person Klaus had. She let Elijah's closeness comfort her, the way his breath tickled her ears and neck, the way he held her. She tried to think only of that, but she couldn't help but imagine someone—anyone—screaming and pleading at Klaus's hands to be released. Or to be killed mercifully. She knew that Klaus would do neither.

It took a while, but she fell asleep that way—in Elijah's arms, with thoughts of Klaus haunting her and the last image she'd had in her dream being the worst of it. He'd almost looked like he earnestly _liked_ kissing her. What the hell was going on?

**Tell me what you think!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Thank you A. Alice-LaCasse for your advice! I decided to use it, but I'm using it just a little bit differently. **

Chapter 45

AJ couldn't get it off her mind. Not even after Elijah cooked her a fantastic breakfast the next day. Not even after he'd pulled her into his arms and then down on the couch for a _very_ long make out session. She knew Elijah had tried his hardest that day to get her to focus on something else and make her feel better, but she didn't. And now as dusk was settling, she just sat on the couch she'd managed to have a very nice time on earlier and simply stared at the wall, lost in thought. Elijah was sitting on her left, watching her.

Klaus. All she could think about was Klaus. The way he'd acted in her dream last night—hell, the way _she'd_ acted. It'd felt too real, his lips on hers, him pushing her up against the wall, the way his eyes danced playfully when she'd pulled back to look at him. Why would she dream of him like that? He hadn't appealed to her… sexually, had he? She was pretty sure he hadn't. She thought he was very handsome, but she wasn't the kind of girl who cared only for looks. One could say it bothered, well part of her, just a _tad_ that he was a _sociopathic killer_. The other half of her… she didn't even want to think about it. She didn't want to feel that side. But was that the side of her that caused the dream in the first place? Did he appeal to that part of her? She knew the answer to that. And it terrified her.

Then she thought about the human Klaus was keeping. Was the person still alive? Who was it? Was it just some random stranger? Was it a woman—was he doing _that_ to her? The thought made AJ furious and sick. She didn't want to imagine Klaus _forcing_ himself onto someone. Some poor girl. It made tears come to her eyes as she clenched her fists to keep them from falling. She could have saved that person. The boy or girl, man or woman. Whoever it was he was keeping locked up for his own sick pleasure. If they were even still alive, that is. She felt responsible for whatever happened to them. Guilt had been weighing on her since the moment she learned it was a human he was keeping.

Elijah just watched her, reading all the thoughts in her eyes. He'd tried all day to make her feel better, to get the guilt to go away and not come back. Or at least go away for a second. But nothing seemed to work. He was worried about her. How could she not see that it was far from her fault? How could she not see that Klaus was unpredictable and truly a monster, and that there was nothing she could have done for whatever human he has? Elijah didn't have answers. Only questions. He wanted to comfort her, but it seemed that she was beyond comforting.

Suddenly AJ's cell phone rang. She blinked, focusing back on the present. It was on the coffee table in front of her, so she reached out to grab it. Looking at caller ID, she saw that it was Elena. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or nervous.

"Elena, what's up?" AJ asked, now looking over at Elijah who was watching her intensely.

"Hey AJ! Caroline and I were wondering if you'd want to come over for movie night, like we used to do in junior high," Elena said, excited, "What do you think?"

AJ paused for a moment, considering her options. Elijah was nodding his head in front of her, saying without words that he thought she should go. If she did, she'd have a distraction from her thoughts. And she'd always enjoyed movie night. _And_ Elijah was okay with it. "Yeah sure, sounds like fun. Who's house?" AJ asked, trying to sound very interested when all she felt was empty and sad.

"Mine," Elena chimed, happy that AJ agreed, "Can you sleep over?"

AJ glanced at Elijah, raising an eyebrow. He could obviously hear Elena since he'd wanted her to go. He nodded his head again, thinking it was a good idea. Maybe she would feel better.

"Yup, I can sleep over. I'll be there in about ten minutes," AJ said, then turned off the phone after Elena said goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" AJ asked Elijah, doubt lingering in her voice.

He studied her sad eyes and her unusually slouched posture. Then he nodded his head again. He would miss her for the night—especially when it came time for him to sleep—but he thought this could help her. "Of course I don't mind," he said as he stood up, along with her.

AJ sighed as she stood still for a moment, going over the things she'd need to pack. "All right. I'll go get my things. Do you mind dropping me off? I really don't feel like driving…" she trailed off. She thought she'd do something stupid if she drove.

And he thought the same thing. He wouldn't let her on the road in the condition she was in. She could easily get it in her head that all she needed was an adrenaline rush. "No problem. I'll be in the car," he said as he watched her nod her head then walk off towards the stairs.

AJ packed all the necessities and was ready to leave within minutes. She didn't have the smile on her face that she used to have when they'd have movie night, but she thought maybe some girl time could alleviate her mood. Especially if they were okay with Elijah.

She got into his car, and the ride was silent until they reached Elena's house. She looked out the window the whole time, and he'd glance from the road to her, his mouth set in a grim line. As his car sat in Elena's driveway, they were both silent.

"If you need anything or you want to come back, just call me, okay?" he told her, putting his finger under her chin to get her eyes to meet his.

"Okay," she said, suddenly feeling even more guilty because she could see that she was affecting Elijah with her mood. He looked sad for her. "Thank you for letting me do this," she added, trying to sound a little happier. It seemed to have worked.

He smiled slightly at her. "Of course, love. Just… relax. Try and have some fun." He stroked the side of her face with his thumb, looking at her lovingly.

She nodded and gave him a small smile back. "I will." Then she moved to kiss him, giving the kiss her full attention. She slid her tongue into his mouth, running it under the fangs that came out when she did. She put a hand into his hair, pulling him closer and closer… until there was a knock at the car's passenger window. AJ looked behind her to see Caroline with a smirk on her face, waving at her. AJ blushed a deep shade of red.

"AJ," Elijah said before she got out of the car. He was happy that she seemed to at least feel better to do _that_. He caressed her face once more, studying her beautiful hazel eyes. "I love you."

She smiled at him, genuinely. "I love you, too, Elijah." Then she got out of the car with her backpack. Caroline led her up to Elena's porch saying something about the movies they rented but AJ's attention was focused elsewhere. She watched as Elijah's car receded away from her. She could feel part of herself, one that wasn't classified as good or bad, leave with him.

Entering Elena's house, AJ immediately saw Jeremy and Jenna.

"Hey," she said, giving each of them a small smile. It'd been awhile since she'd spoken to either one of them.

Jenna beamed and walked over to hug AJ, "AJ! It's good to see you! Elena says you've been so busy lately. I'm glad you could get away from things for the night," Jenna said genuinely.

AJ laughed, "Yeah, me too. I love movie night."

"Well you girls have fun. Jer and I are going to have our own game night down here," Jenna said, still smiling as she moved back into the kitchen to pull out cookies from the oven.

Jeremy waved at AJ from his seat on the couch. She could tell he really wasn't that excited and held back a laugh.

Before Caroline and AJ could escape up the stairs, Jenna offered them each a cookie.

"No thank you!" both girls said in unison as they rushed up the stairs, hiding their giggles. Jenna's cookies were the _worst_.

Upon going into Elena's room, AJ felt the normalness of it all hit her pleasantly. Here she was with two of her best friends—she knew Bonnie still couldn't make it since she was still at that house—and she was about to watch a bunch of random movies like they used to do all the time. The thought was calming.

After joking around and trying to pick a movie, they settled on one and settled into their separate pillows on the floor. As the previews were being skipped over, Caroline gave AJ another smirk.

"So spill!" she said, excited. It didn't really take much to excite Caroline, so AJ wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"What do you mean?" AJ asked, confused. She noticed Elena was trying to hide a smile as she lay on her stomach, her arms crossed on the pillow in front of her.

Caroline sighed in exasperation. "I _mean_ spill about you and Elijah! I saw some major lip-locking in there!" Caroline beamed and Elena laughed.

AJ's blush returned, but she was still confused. "I thought you guys didn't like the fact that I'm with him?" She looked from one girl to the other, her eyebrows furrowed together.

Elena rolled her eyes. "AJ, no one liked the fact that I was dating a vampire the first time we _knew_ that vampires existed. And then everyone got over it. So yeah, Elijah is an Original, and… some of us question if we should trust him or not, but me and Car have decided that we support your decision. You're smart—obviously—and you sometimes have some common sense," Elena joked, "But I saw the way you two interacted. It was… just wow. I think it's great that you're with him," Elena said earnestly.

"Me too!" Caroline added, grinning, "Which is _whyyy_ I think you need to start spilling some details on exactly how _with_ him you've been." She smiled deviously.

Now AJ rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about… that." She felt that it was private—something for only her and Elijah to know. She wouldn't want him 'spilling the details' to anyone about it. So she'd give him the same courtesy.

Caroline pouted, "Why not?"

AJ laughed as she threw a piece of popcorn at her friend, "The movies starting. Can we please watch it?"

Caroline huffed but nodded. "You promise to tell me later?"

AJ just smiled but said nothing as she focused on Elena's TV. They decided to watch a sort of action movie since they'd all seen the romantic comedies. This one was called _Traitor_. AJ had been reluctant at first, simply because of the name, but she thought it sounded good. But now whenever she remembered her dream about Klaus, she thought of the word _traitor._ And then it got worse. The opening scene was about torture, and with scream and plead of mercy the torturers elicited from their prisoner, the worse she felt. She started to imagine Klaus doing the same exact thing with some poor woman who'd been picked up off the street just because her blood smelled better or she was pretty. AJ felt sick. She needed air—she wasn't sure how much more she could take. And then the thought of Caroline interrogating her later about her and Elijah's relationship made her feel worse.

She stood up quickly and began to gather her things, her hands trembling.

Elena and Caroline regarded AJ with confusion and concern.

"AJ what's wrong? What are you doing?" Elena asked, her eyebrows coming together.

AJ shook her head. "I need to go. I—I'm sorry Elena, I just need to go."

Without saying another word, AJ took her backpack and slung it over her shoulders, then raced out of the room and down the stairs. Jeremy and Jenna gave her surprised looks, but she just waved goodbye at them as she shut the front door behind her. Her shaky hands only got worse. She thought about calling Elijah to have him come get her, but she didn't want to make him more upset. She knew that _her _mood was affecting _his_, and she dearly didn't want to make him feel the same way she was. No one should feel that way.

She stopped at the sidewalk and considered her options. She could go to the Grille and see if Damon was there. She could talk to him and have him give her a ride back. Or she could just stay at the boardinghouse. She wasn't really sure. She just knew that the night air was cool and nice, so she wanted to walk. She headed towards the Grille.

**Tell me what you think!(:**


	46. Chapter 46

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 46

The walk wasn't very long, and she could already see the Grille just a little ways away. Her hands ceased shaking a while ago, but she still felt jittery and not right. The words kept replaying in her head: _Traitor, prisoner, torture. _Klaus. Human. Pet. Someone she should have saved.

She rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear her head of thoughts, but she knew it wouldn't work. She wondered if Damon would get her a drink—maybe that would help. Would he even be at the Grille at all? If he was feeling like himself, then surely he would. He loved alcohol. She briefly wondered if a vampire's liver could be altered over time like a humans could. She doubted it. Lucky for Damon.

Soon, she was in the parking lot, making her way towards the entrance. She was about to open the door when she stopped and looked back at the parking lot, her eyebrows shooting up. There was a guy pulling into a parking space on his motorcycle—a virtually silent motorcycle at that. She was impressed, to say the least. Pausing for a moment, she watched as he got off of it and put his helmet on the front. Then an idea hit her. It was possibly the dumbest, most risky idea she'd ever had, but an idea nonetheless. Without thinking a second more, she pretended to just be leaving the Grille, and just when the guy was passing her, she bumped into him, quickly slipping her fingers inside his jacket and grabbing his keys.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said sheepishly to him, but kept on walking. He muttered an 'it's fine' but she ignored it. She was waiting for him to call her out on what she did, but he didn't even notice. She was surprised, considering she'd never done that before. Then all she could think about was how this was the perfect opportunity. And that Elijah would be upset with her. She stopped when that realization hit her. Of course he would be, and she felt horrible for that. She'd be disappointing him once again. But this time she was thinking. She had a plan… sort of. But she'd be fine. She had a good feeling about this.

After glancing back to make sure the guy had walked into the Grille, AJ went over to his bike and grabbed the helmet, slipping it on over her head. She was lucky that her brother taught her how to drive a motorcycle, otherwise she'd be screwed. She got on it and then started the engine. It was completely silent. She smiled.

Pulling out of the parking lot of the Grille, she turned in the direction that would take her to the road Klaus's home was on. Adrenaline was pumping through her, and she was finally starting to feel a little better. She could save this person. She would. She would right her wrong, and the guilt would go away. The person would be safe, away from Klaus.

Even as she reached sixty, the engine stayed silent. She was thoroughly impressed and really happy—and also tried avoiding thinking about how she'd get the bike back to that guy without getting arrested. But oh well.

The night was dark, so she let the single light on the front of the motorcycle stay on until she was sure that she was very close to Klaus's home. She remembered very well where his drive was, so she turned off the light and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. To her left, something moved—a deer. It seemed that many creatures were lively that night. The crickets were chirping loudly, bats and owls were flying high above her, searching for prey.

Minutes later, she saw the drive that would take her to Klaus's home. She stopped the bike, deciding that even though it was completely silent, she would feel better if she left it out here. She got off it and propped it up against a tree, putting a large fallen branch with a lot of leaves over it carefully to hide it, just in case Klaus or anyone else wasn't even home yet and would be soon. She pulled her backpack off her shoulders and placed it down next to the bike, quietly pulling out her lock-pick set her brother had gotten her for her birthday years ago. She wasn't sure if Klaus would be confident enough to leave the doors unlocked or not, so she figured they could be useful. She was happy she wore her boots. She could walk as silent as a cat with them.

She began walking up the long drive, keeping to the edge of it so that she'd stay out of sight in case anyone was outside. But she was pretty sure that everyone would be asleep. The house was void of light of any sort. She was relieved, but she was starting to feel the thrill of the whole plan enter her bloodstream again. She hoped the adrenaline would aid her—not distract her as she usually allow it to.

She rounded the large house, remembering the back door she'd seen in the kitchen… before she stabbed Greta in the throat. She cringed at that thought, as she usually did when it crossed her mind. That had possibly been the worst thing she'd ever done, but it'd been necessary for her escape. She wondered if Greta lived or died, but then shook of the thought. She needed to focus.

She was careful to keep her breathing silent as well as she walked up the back porch, crouching a little to get a look at the handle on the door. She put her hand on it delicately and tested it out. She almost laughed out loud, but caught herself. Klaus had truly been arrogant enough to leave it unlocked! It saved her a lot of time. She stopped before she opened the door, and felt around the pockets of her jeans, feeling relieved for probably the third time that night that she had a miniature flashlight with her. It'd help once she was inside.

She opened the door slowly and quietly, revealing a dark kitchen. She stepped in meticulously and looked around. The room seemed clear of blood, thankfully. She noticed that even the knives were all accounted for—the one that had been jutting out of Greta's jugular had been put back. Gross. AJ went to the knives and grabbed a small one, slipping it between her belt and her jeans to keep it in place. She wasn't sure if she'd need it or not, but she wanted to be prepared.

Suddenly nervous butterflies entered her stomach. She was standing, uninvited, in _Klaus's_ house, in the middle of the night with no one knowing she was there. The thought was intimidating and scary, but she wouldn't let it deter her. She had to save this person. Remembering the layout of the house, she walked through the kitchen and into the living room, tip-toeing. She spotted the closed door on her left. Glancing around with paranoia, she headed over to it. She tested the handle on that, too. It was locked. She should have figured.

Her stomach sank. She wasn't good at picking locks in the dark, and putting on the miniature flashlight was a risk. But was it a risk she was willing to take? She thought about it a minute. She'd already come all this way. She wouldn't let just a little bit of light keep her from helping whoever was being held captive. She crouched down to get a good look at the lock, pulling out her instruments and the mini-light. She carefully clicked the mini-light on—the sound of the _click_ sounded like a train running through the living room to her—and put it between her teeth so she could use both of her hands.

She grabbed a hook pick and a tension wrench, placing them carefully into the slots. She held the wrench down as she moved the hook pick, feeling for the tumblers as she lifted each of them. A minute passed, and she was done. She quickly turned off the light and returned the tools to her bag, then put them back in her back pocket. She opened the door quietly and slipped through, feeling the step of a stair underneath her boot. She closed the door behind her, knowing it was a small risk in case she had a problem opening it, but she knew that if anyone were to come downstairs it raise flags. There were two walls on either side of her, so she put her hands on them and carefully felt for her footing as she made her way down the steps. She could hear breathing somewhere—it had to be the person Klaus was keeping.

As her eyes readjusted to the dark, she saw that there were cells all around her. Medieval looking ones. From what she could see, the ones she already passed were empty. She continued down until she heard something to her right. Her heart began beating frantically as she squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figure coming towards her. They were in one of the cells, luckily. But it wasn't who the breathing was coming from.

AJ held her breath and waited to see what would happen.

"AJ?" a female voice whispered, sounding shocked.

AJ released her breath. It was Katherine. She walked over to the cell warily. Katherine was up close to the bars now, her hands gripping onto two of them as she looked at AJ with genuine surprise. AJ held a finger to her lips, indicating for Katherine to be quieter.

"How did you get down here? How did you get _here?_" Katherine asked in barely a whisper. The adrenaline rushing through AJ made it easier for her to hear.

AJ shrugged. "He's an arrogant son-of-a-bitch. It was kind of easy," she barely whispered back.

Katherine scowled and nodded. "That he is."

AJ looked around, still hearing the breathing. Whoever it was must be asleep, or at least that was what it sounded like. They weren't snoring, but were breathing deeply in and out. It sounded… familiar to AJ for some reason.

AJ looked back at Katherine. "Not that I'm your biggest fan, but… well, do you want me to get you out?" AJ asked reluctantly. She was in fact her for just the human, but she couldn't stand the idea of leaving someone else behind to suffer, even if Katherine did deserve it. Plus having a vampire to help her would be a lot better than doing it on her own.

Katherine looked angry. "There's nothing you can do for me. He's compelled me to stay here."

AJ looked at her with pity. She was sure that Klaus was making Katherine suffer. Although Katherine was a devious, conniving, lying bitch, AJ understood why she did what she did so many years ago. She'd been afraid. And now she was being punished for that.

"Don't look at me like that," Katherine said bitterly, "I don't need your pity. I just need a way out."

AJ nodded. "Then I'll see what I can do. But right now I'm here for the human. Which cell are they in?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. Even in the dark, AJ could see the dramatic act. "You _would_ try to be the hero," she crossed her arms, wondering if she should bother to help AJ or not. She figured her best option was to—one, AJ could easily find him by looking in the rest of the cells, and two, maybe the girl would actually find a way out for her. Katherine huffed almost silently, then gestured diagonal from her, "He's over there. You'd better be quick. You're lucky you even got this far."

AJ nodded and went over to the other cell without saying another word to Katherine. She wasn't sure whether she would really look for a way to help the vampire or not. She'd have to think about it later. As she approached the cell, she could see a figure on what looked like a makeshift bed. Even that made her feel sick. Klaus kept him against his will, and didn't even have an ounce of humanity in him to supply the boy with something descent to sleep on.

AJ decided that opening the cell first would be a good idea. When she'd wake him, she wasn't sure if he'd yell or freak out or something. If she could get in there first, she'd be able to keep in from doing that. So she crouched again and turned on the mini-light, putting in back in between her teeth. She used her tools to pick the lock, although it took her about five minutes. She wasn't familiar with this kind of lock, so she just guessed. She was relieved when she heard it _click_ and it opened a little. Putting all of her tools back, she stood up and opened the cell door. It looked more like a tall, looming gate, actually. It began to creak, so she stopped it. There was just enough space for her to slide into the cell.

Once she was in, she walked over to the sleeping boy. Actually, more like a man. In the dark, the only thing she could tell about him was that he had dark hair and he was white. That was it—his back was facing her as he slept on the ground. She went over to him and bent down, then froze. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and she could see all sorts of bites on his arms, wrists, and even up around his neck. She felt dizzy and waited for the feeling to pass, closing her eyes and breathing in and out. She needed to wake him and get him out quietly. She needed to get back to Elijah safely.

She nudged the guy lightly, seeing that that was enough for him to stir. He began to murmur something as he propped himself up a little bit, but she quickly put a hand over his mouth. He tensed, and then looked at her with wide eyes.

And she was completely shocked. "Lucas?"

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	47. Chapter 47

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 47

"Lucas?" AJ asked, thinking that it was impossible. She felt sick to her stomach as she looked at him in the darkness. The bite marks were _everywhere_.

He looked back at her with wide eyes. He couldn't say anything since her hand was still covering his mouth, so she removed it and held a finger to her lips. Even in her shocked state, she was still thinking straight. They had to be super quiet.

"AJ?" he asked, propping himself up so that he was eye-level with her. He reached out, disbelieving, and caressed the side of her face, feeling her real, soft and smooth skin. He wasn't just imagining her. She was actually there. Relief flooded his entire body."How—how are you here? How did you know I was here?" he asked, his voice getting a little too loud.

She shushed him, waving her hands frantically in front of her. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid. "You need to be quiet. And I'll explain later. We need to get you out of here _now._"

He nodded slowly, his hand still caressing her warm face. He ran his fingers over her jaw line, then her lips. He was so happy to see her, he was speechless.

AJ reached up and removed his hand gently, but kept it in hers. She couldn't imagine how much he'd been through for however long he was here. Tears built up in her eyes at the idea of someone hurting him—of _Klaus_ hurting him. It was ten times worse than she ever imagined. She'd always thought that she didn't know the person—but she _did_. She shook her head, trying to focus. She could think about all this later. Right now, they needed to leave.

Still holding his hand, she pulled him up to his feet. They were looking at each other with awe, still. He looked down at their hands, relishing the feeling of her warm, soft one in his own. She caught on to how he was taking it, and pulled away, looking to the cell door. "Let's go," she said quietly, leading the way. She slipped back through the small opening, but then realized that he was a lot bigger than her, what with all his muscle. He'd have to open the door a little more. He did, and it creaked again. AJ held her breath until it stopped and he slipped through. She released it, and then turned around to leave.

"AJ," Katherine called quietly.

AJ hesitated, but turned to face the vampire. She raised an eyebrow, indicating for Katherine to say what she needed to.

"I know we've had our differences," Katherine said, sounding surprisingly… nice, "but if there is _anything_ you can do to get me out of here, I will owe you my life. Please AJ."

AJ nodded, but wasn't stupid. Katherine never owed anyone her life. But she still didn't like to see someone suffering at Klaus's hands "I'll see what I can do." Then she turned, with Lucas behind her, and made her way back to the stairs. She put her hands on either side of the walls again and carefully found her footing as she ascending the stairs as quietly as possible. She knew Lucas was right behind her. Before opening the door at the top, she prayed that Klaus was still sleeping, or doing whatever it was that kept him _not_ around. She prayed that she could get back to Elijah that night and feel his arms around her, feel his loving his. She prayed that she'd be able to tell him that she loved him again, because she knew that if she were to get caught, death would be certain. She couldn't imagine how angry Klaus was at her for escaping—he'd be even _angrier_ that she was helping Lucas escape.

Finally, she put her hand on the door handle and quietly opened it a little. She held her breath and listened, but heard nothing. Although that really didn't mean anything when dealing with a vampire. She took the chance and opened the door all the way, stepping out into an empty living room with Lucas right beside her. She closed the door, and then gestured for Lucas to follow her again. He grabbed her hand, much to her surprise, but she figured he just needed the comfort. She just couldn't imagine what he'd been through, so comforting his was the least she could do. Especially when the realization dawned on her that she was the reason he was taken by Klaus in the first place. She focused on the task at hand. She'd have time for these thoughts later.

With his hand in hers, she led him through the living room and into the kitchen. Glancing around, she continued through the kitchen and to the back door, slipping through it without a sound. Then they re-rounded the house again, keeping near the woods in case they needed to hide immediately, until they came to the long drive. Still keeping to the edge, AJ walked hand in hand with Lucas, but she began walking faster and faster. Her heart was racing, and she wasn't sure why. Something didn't feel right and it made her feel edgy.

"How are we getting out of here?" Lucas asked, looking at AJ, "There isn't a town for miles."

"I have a motorcycle," she replied, glancing all around as her edginess increased. It almost felt like someone was watching them.

"A _motorcycle?_" Lucas asked incredulously, "No offense A, but that's not exactly the quietest means of transportation you could have picked."

AJ rolled her eyes, especially at the use of the nickname _for_ her nickname, 'A'. No one's called her that in years. "Lucas, I'm not stupid. Its engine is completely silent."

He regarded her, impressed. "No shit?"

She shook her head. They were almost to the bike, and her hands started to shake. Something was definitely off. She froze, listening to everything around them. She only heard the wildlife as night creatures lurked about in the woods. Then she looked up, finally realizing why she felt so fidgety. It was a full moon.

"Oh _no,"_ AJ said miserably, and she went back into motion, pulling Lucas along with her as she nearly ran. The thing that was watching them must've been a werewolf stalking its prey. Her heard began pounding in her chest.

"A, babe, what's wrong? You're shaking," Lucas pointed out, looking at her with concern.

AJ decided to ignore the 'babe' since she had more pressing matters to attend to. She could feel it now. The wolf was close. But they were closer to the bike.

"Here it is, help me move this branch!" AJ ordered as she released her hand from his and began picking it up. He moved it easier, and threw it down to the ground, revealing the motorcycle. AJ grabbed her backpack and gave it to Lucas, indicating for him to put it on. She pulled the bike back onto the road frantically, feeling the werewolf get closer and closer. She hopped on the bike, looking to see a hesitant Lucas beside her.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked with impatience, "Get on!"

Lucas looked wide eyed to his right, and then got quickly onto the motorcycle. AJ suddenly saw what had made him freeze. In the small mirrors on the bike, she could see it behind her. She started the engine and took off, going as fast as the bike allowed. She could see in her mirrors that the wolf was no longer behind them, but she knew they liked to give chase. She was fearful that that was exactly what it was doing. They were reaching eighty and far away from Klaus's home. That danger was over. For now. But then she realized a new one, other than the werewolf that was surely stalking them.

Up ahead, there would be a huge curve in the road. And she didn't have enough time to slow down to take it so that they wouldn't crash or flip. She swore under her breath. They were in town, but just barely. She had to think quickly. Fishing into the pockets of her jeans once again, she found her phone. She quickly used speed dial #13 and waited nervously for him to answer. He was going to be _so_ pissed.

"AJ?" Elijah asked a little groggy, clearly the ringing of his cell phone had woke him up. She hadn't realized that it was that late at night. It was probably early morning by now. That was good—the werewolf would change back soon. Hopefully soon enough.

"Elijah we're approaching main street but there's a curve in the road and I can't slow down enough—"

Those were the only words she managed to shout into the phone before they came upon the huge turn in the road. The cell phone flew from her hands as she tried to get her grip back on the handles of the bike, but it was too late. Suddenly there were lights in front of them, and then they hit something, sending both of them flying off the bike and onto the side of the road.

The only thing that was lucid to AJ was that there was screaming, and she was fairly certain it wasn't her own. Everything hurt and there was a hot, sticky liquid coming out of her leg. And someone was above her, trying to tell her something. She didn't really care, though. Her head was fuzzy and weird. The last thought she had was of how angry Elijah would be with her. But at least she'd be able to be in his arms once again.

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	48. Chapter 48

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 48

It'd been only the second time in a month AJ had woken up to it, but the constant _beep, beep, beep_ was absolutely maddening. She opened her eyes slowly, scowling. The hospital was the _last _place she wanted to be. But at least her room had a window this time around. The sun was shining through, and it looked like a beautiful day outside. She wished she could be out there, but the throbbing in her leg and back told her she probably wouldn't be any time soon. She didn't want any of those damn nurses coming near her, though—they were like torture.

And that's when everything flooded back into her head. She closed her eyes, cursing under her breath. Lucas. Lucas had been the one that Klaus took and kept as a 'pet'. Lucas had suffered and suffered, all because of her. First, she was the reason he was taken in the first place. She was sure of it—it couldn't have been a coincidence that he was down there. Second, she had _been there_ at one point and could have saved him, but she didn't! She'd left him there to endure even more of Klaus's sick presence—his biting and his mind games. She didn't want to think of what Klaus did to Lucas. She didn't want to be so concerned in the first place. But she was. She sensed someone beside her, so she opened her eyes and looked over.

Elijah. It was Elijah. And he reached out to hold her hand. She closed her eyes again, relishing the mere contact. Then she opened them back up quickly, studying him. Yes. He was pissed, like she'd thought he'd be.

"Elijah, I—"

"AJ," he cut her off quietly, but he sounded menacing. And worried. "How could you do this? How could you risk your life for _him,_ of all people?" Elijah glared at her, but when he saw the tears forming in her eyes as she looked at him, he softened. He brought her hand up gently and kissed it, looking down. "I'm sorry. I've just been—very worried. I'm not used to dealing with this emotion," he said, feeling guilty. What mattered to him most was that she was okay. He just wasn't happy with her decision.

She shook her head, the tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry Elijah. Oh—I'm so sorry. I _was_ thinking, though! I saw the perfect opportunity to save the human Klaus had, so I took it. But I'm so sorry. I know how disappointed you must be in me." She looked down miserably.

Elijah took his other hand and wiped away her tears. "AJ…" he sighed. "Now is not the time to talk about it, I suppose." He looked at where her hand was holding on to her leg—one of the injuries she attained the night before—then he looked at his wrist and bit into it. The blood began to pool. "You have a fairly large gash in your left leg and another along your spine. You're lucky you weren't killed. Drink." He held his wrist to her mouth.

She had many questions, but decided it would have to wait. She held onto his wrist and pulled it closer to her lips, then placed them on it. She licked and sucked at his blood, the taste was absolutely wonderful. She drank more and more, already feeling herself heal. She pulled away reluctantly, licking her lips. She didn't meet his eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly.

He nodded. "Of course."

She tore off the IV's that were in her, not even wincing at the pain. She hated needles though. Then she tore off the heart monitor, successfully ending the beeping. The questions returned to her mind. She couldn't help that the curiosity was eating at her. "Why am I at the hospital and not the house?" she asked, finally meeting his intense gaze.

"Because when you were going around the curve, you hit a car. The people in it were fine, but they called 911. I got there just after that and followed you here. I—I was desperate to give you my blood, but they wouldn't let me near you until a few hours ago. But the medicine they gave you made you unconscious," he explained.

She nodded, taking in the information. Then she looked down sheepishly. She knew better than to ask this, but she was going to anyway. "And… how is Lucas?"

Elijah growled. "Why do you care? That disgusting lowlife hurt _you_ AJ. As far as I'm concerned, he got what he deserved," he said bitterly.

AJ was more attentive now. "Elijah—is he dead? What happened to him? _Please _tell me," she begged, searching his eyes for understanding. She found none.

"He is fine," Elijah said reluctantly, the ice still in his voice. "The doctors are perplexed at the bite marks all over him, but other than that he has a broken arm. He keeps asking for you. As if he deserves to even see you!" Elijah growled again, the snarl on his face clearly demonstrating how unhappy he was.

AJ squeezed his hand, getting him to look at her softly. "Elijah, it was my fault he was there in the first place. I wasn't going to just leave him!"

"_You_ shouldn't have left Elena's!" Elijah countered, frowning. He took control of his temper once more, taking in a breath. "AJ, I understand that you felt guilty that—someone—was still with Klaus, but it hadn't been your fault and I don't know why you can't see that. I wish you would have simply stayed at Elena's." He sighed, looking down at their intertwined hands.

She glared at him. "No, you wish that Lucas was still there, enduring whatever Klaus was putting him through! You're just mad that he's fine now. Elijah, it _is_ my fault that Lucas was taken! It wasn't a coincidence that it was him!"

Elijah didn't meet her eyes. "Perhaps even Klaus has some shred of understanding to make him want to harm the boy for what he did to you."

AJ stared at Elijah, her mouth open. "You say that as if it's a _good_ thing!"

He looked up at her seriously. "AJ, you have no idea how hard it was for me to just walk away from Lucas that one time I went to talk to him. I had to fight myself from ripping him apart. It was not easy for me—I'd wanted him to suffer. And Klaus made him do just that. So at the moment, I do think it's a good thing. I'm not going to apologize for feeling that way, love, but I am sorry that it's upsetting you."

AJ looked away from him, shaking her head slowly as she pulled back her hands and rubbed at her temples. Unbeknownst to Klaus, Elijah was actually taking his side on something. The mere thought of that gave her a headache. She understood why Elijah hated Lucas so much, she just wished she didn't. She wished she could yell at Elijah and say she didn't want to see him, but really it was quite the opposite of that. She needed him right next to her, no matter how unhappy she was with him.

A nurse popped her head in the door behind Elijah, freaking AJ out. She prayed the woman didn't have any needles with her. "Oh, Miss Echo! You're awake! That's wonderful," she said, walking into the room. Then she looked at the torn IV's and heart monitor with a frown.

AJ smiled at her sadly, "I'm sorry. I sort of have a phobia of needles. But I'm feeling a lot better." She gave the nurse a reassuring smile when all she wanted to do was grimace at her presence.

The nurse said nothing for a moment, and then seemed to remember something. "Oh! The young man you came in with last night—he's been asking for you. His room is just down the hall to the right," the nurse instructed, but AJ could tell she still wasn't happy about the IV and heart monitor. She nudged Elijah.

Elijah stood up and walked over to the nurse, catching her eyes with his own. "AJ Echo only suffered minor injuries, and is free to leave whenever she likes. There is no need for further medical attention." The nurse repeated what Elijah compelled her to know robotically, then smiled at AJ and left the room.

"Thank you," AJ said sincerely. She hated hospitals. And nurses, no matter how nice they seemed.

He looked at her blankly and nodded. She could tell that he wasn't happy about the reminder that Lucas wanted to see her. She threw the hospitals scratchy blankets off her and grabbed the fresh clothes she assumed Elijah brought for her, going into the bathroom to change out of the stupid gown they'd put on her. She looked in the mirror, seeing that she didn't look as horrible as she thought she did. But she really didn't care. She was tired.

She came out of the bathroom, noticing her backpack on the ground beside a chair. She picked it up and opened it. Her lock-pick set was missing. Frowning, she dug into the bag more, searching for it.

"Are you looking for this?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow as he held up the set, his mouth settled into a grim line.

AJ looked at him sheepishly. There were a few things Elijah still didn't know about her, and that was one of them. "Ah… well, I can explain that. It was a gift for my birthday a couple years ago…" she trailed off as she noticed his level look.

"Well, I hope it wasn't very sentimental to you," Elijah said, looking down at it with some kind of demeanor that AJ couldn't read.

"Why's that?" she asked in a small voice.

"Because you aren't getting it back." His eyes said he was as serious as his voice. Yes, she felt she definitely should have told him about that.

She pouted at him. "Elijah, why not? It came in handy! What if I need it again?"

He shook his head, not falling for her cute pout. "Trust me, you won't. Not for quite some time. Or ever."

She continued to pout. "You aren't being fair."

He laughed genuinely. "And do you think that it was fair of you not to tell me about this?" he asked, indicating the lock-picking set, "Tell me AJ, is there anything else I don't know about you? Or about what you're keeping?"

She sighed, looking down. "Like you said earlier, I think we should talk about this later…"

He nodded knowingly. He thought she'd say that.

She pushed her hair behind her ears, preparing herself for whatever Elijah would say to this next part. "Uhm… if you don't mind… I think I might go check on Lucas…" she peeked up at him to see his reaction.

His entire body was tense as he looked at her. He stayed quiet a moment. "Fine," he said shortly, "But I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Elijah, he's not going to—"

"AJ, that is the only way I will let you see him. I don't trust him, and I won't let you be alone with him. You either agree, or you don't see him," he said firmly.

She nodded reluctantly. "Okay." She just hoped for Lucas's sake that he wouldn't try any of that 'babe' crap he pulled the night before. If he did, things wouldn't end well for him. She was certain that Elijah would lose his calm demeanor—well as calm as he could be given the circumstances.

AJ slung her backpack over her shoulder and slipped out the door of her room, Elijah following behind her. She looked for the room the nurse had instructed her to go to. It was on her right, the door barely open. She knocked on it before opening it, not glancing back at Elijah. She knew he wouldn't look happy.

AJ walked in, noticing that Lucas's room wasn't nearly as nice as hers had been—which was saying something considering hers hadn't been all that great. She suspected Elijah had something to do with it, but didn't say anything. He was on a bed in the far back to the left. All the other beds in the room were empty. His arm was in a sling, and he still had in his IV's and heart monitor. AJ cringed.

When he saw her, he smiled at her, a dazzling one as usual, and waved with his good hand. But then he frowned and looked almost scared, looking behind her. AJ was confused. She glanced back, seeing Elijah leaning against the door frame, giving Lucas a death stare. Wonderful.

She rolled her eyes and went to grab a chair, pulling it up to Lucas's bedside.

"Hey," she said, smiling at him. But he was glancing from her to Elijah.

"A, do you _know_ him?" Lucas asked in a whisper as he nodded towards Elijah, probably so Elijah couldn't hear, but AJ knew he could anyway.

"Yes… why?" She asked, clearly confused.

Lucas looked at her wide-eyed. "AJ," he whispered still, "Are you okay? Has he hurt you?"

She scoffed, "No he hasn't hurt me! Why would you think that?" And then it hit her. She wondered what Elijah had done that night to get Lucas to talk. Oh no.

"Because," Lucas began, his heart monitor beeping rapidly, "He's just like the guy who took me, AJ! He's—he's a _vampire_, A!"

AJ stayed silent. So Lucas knew that Elijah was a vampire. Which meant that Elijah had done something… vampire-like the night he went to go talk to Lucas. And Lucas wasn't stupid—he obviously knew after Klaus bit him and fed from him so many times what Klaus was. She sighed and looked back to Elijah, who was still staring at Lucas menacingly. She understood why his heart monitor was acting like he was running a marathon.

"Yes," she said, "I know that."

"_You know that?_ And you still hang around him?" Lucas asked incredulously, "A, have you gone crazy?"

She sighed. "I don't just 'hang around him' Lucas. I'm… with him." She shrugged.

Lucas's eyes were nearly bulging now. "You're _with him?_ God, A, I know that—what I did to you, it must've had some bad affects on you, but to _know_ he's a _vampire_ and be _with_ him? I—I didn't think I messed you up that much!"

Elijah growled from the doorway, not really helping the situation at all.

AJ rubbed at her temples, trying to keep good control over her temper. "Trust me, Lucas, you didn't _mess me up,"_ she said bitterly. She didn't like the fact he used that phrase. "Elijah is far from being anything like the way you were. He'd never hurt me."

Lucas just stared at her, absolutely shocked. "Yeah, up until the day that he does. AJ—I don't want to see you get hurt again, babe," she cringed when he said that, "Please—I'm _begging_ you to give me another chance. I don't want to see you with a _vampire_." Lucas tried to reach out to hold AJ's hand, but Elijah was there in an instant, seething.

"You do not get to touch her!" He actually shouted at Lucas, standing between AJ and the boy. AJ looked back, seeing that the door was closed. And locked. She stood up slowly, edging around so she could see both Elijah and Lucas. "You do not get to speak to her as if you have any right to care about her, do you understand me?" Elijah's voice was full of power. It was frightening.

Lucas looked up at him, scared, but it didn't prevent him from voicing his opinion. "And you think that _you—_an undead fucking _vampire_—have the right to care about her?" Lucas shook his head furiously, "You're wrong. You don't deserve her. And she doesn't deserve to be pushed around by you, either."

"Lucas, he doesn't push me around—"AJ tried interjecting, but Elijah already lost it. He was gripping Lucas's broken arm as Lucas howled in pain, looking down at him with a grim face.

"I would never hurt her, especially not the way you did. You are filth, and she should have left you there to die. Do not ever try speaking to her again. If you do, I will kill you," Elijah said, meaning every word of it. He released Lucas's arm then looked at AJ, trying to hold in his anger. He wasn't mad at her—not at all. But he didn't want her to see any more of him like this. "Let's go home," he said as gently as he could, then took her hand and led her out of the room.

AJ spared a glance back at Lucas. That didn't really go as she had planned. She didn't even get to ask him how he was feeling.

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	49. Chapter 49

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 49

"Elijah, please look at me," AJ said pleadingly. They'd been home for a half hour, and he'd only gone and sat down on the couch, looking blankly at the wall as he thought. It wasn't like him to not clue her in. She didn't know what was going through his head; she just knew it wasn't good. "Elijah…" she reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled it away from her. She looked at him, shocked.

"He's right," Elijah said quietly, still not looking at her. But he knew he offended her, just now. He felt even worse for that.

"Who's right? Elijah, please tell me what you're thinking," she begged, wishing he'd let her touch him. She was scared.

Elijah shook his head, looking down at his hands. "Lucas. He said I didn't deserve you. He's right," he said sadly. It hit him the moment they got into his car to leave the hospital. He'd looked at AJ, at how stunningly beautiful she was, at how strong and brave she was, at how _good_ she was, and he'd known that Lucas had been right. He didn't deserve someone so—so wonderful and right. She was everything he wasn't. She was talented at anything she tried to do—music, art, anything at all; she always had a smile for anyone and everyone, no matter how lowly _he_ thought they were. She would always be the support for her friends, reassuring them when _she_ was the one who really needed to be comforted. She was this beautiful, wonderful creature, on the inside and out, and he didn't deserve her. He was a killer—he was so used to the feeling of blood on his hands that it never fazed him. He wouldn't think twice about the poor man on the street, begging for money, when that'd be all she'd think about. He would always think he was above people, and she would try her hardest to never, ever feel that way. He was a vampire, a member of the undead and one of the strongest and most feared at that. There was so much blood on his hands from the many years he'd been walking the earth, he couldn't even recall half of the victims. He didn't deserve her. It was clear to him now.

AJ looked at Elijah, absolutely appalled at what he'd said. "Elijah, Lucas was just saying things to mess with you! And look—it worked! Elijah, look at me," she demanded. He did, but his eyes were sad. She moved closer to him, putting her hands on either side of his face, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Elijah, I can't tell you how wonderful you are. I've _never_ been as happy as I am now—now that I'm with _you_. Before I met you, I never even felt safe! Yes, you're a vampire. But that doesn't matter to me. Please don't ever say that you don't deserve me. If anything, you deserve better than me," she said seriously. Now he looked at her, appalled.

"How can you say that?" he asked, pulling her hands into his own and settling them on his lap, "AJ, that's far from being true. I've never, in my entire existence, met anyone quite like you. I still haven't figured all of you out yet, but I know this AJ. You are amazing, and right, and good. You would so fearlessly give your life to save another, no matter who they are or what they did to you in the past," he said very seriously, "You are the definition of good, albeit you do have an adrenaline addiction, but that takes nothing away from the fact that you are good. And although I am good to you, AJ, I—I have done horrible things. And I don't even _care_ that I have. I'm not like you. I wish I was, I wish I could _be_, love, but I can't."

She shook her head vigorously, tears rushing into her eyes. He wasn't right. She wasn't good. Not all good. "Elijah, I'm not asking you to be like me. I love you for who you are _already_. I know that you've done… bad things, but I really don't care! That's not you, not when you're with me. And… I'm not as good as you think I am. Not all the time…" She looked down and the tears trailed down her face, dripping off her chin. This was one thing that she was never sure how to tell Elijah—if she should even tell him at all. She was scared. If he loved her for being such goodperson, would he still love her after he knew? Her hands began shaking.

"AJ—what's wrong? What are you talking about?" Elijah lifted her chin up and searched her eyes worriedly. He didn't understand. What did she mean she wasn't as good as he thought?

"Elijah, I haven't been completely honest with you. I've been scared about what you'd say or how you'd react. I'm afraid—"she held back a sob that threatened to shake throughout her body, and she tried keeping a hold on the stronger part of herself, "I'm afraid that you won't look at me the same."

Even through his confusion, he kissed away some of her tears and gently wiped the rest away. He caressed her face, stroking his thumb back and forth, trying to comfort her. "Nothing could change the way I look at you, love. What haven't you told me?" He looked at her softly, seeing how hard it was for her to try and talk about whatever it was she wanted to say.

She pulled away from him and stood up slowly, then crossed to the window. She dried the rest of her tears with the back of her hand as she looked out across the landscape. If she was going to tell someone this—tell _Elijah _this—then she would be strong about it. She would take whatever reaction he'll have, and she'll be brave. Keeping it from his was killing her—he was the one she could talk to about anything, except for this. She didn't want it to be like that anymore.

"Elijah," she started, keeping her voice as strong as she could as she turned to look at him. He was standing to go to her, reading from her body language that this wasn't easy for her. He held her hands as she started again. "Do you remember when you told me that a Warrior was either good or bad? And then a while after that, you said that you had no doubt that I was the good one?" She shook her head, looking down at her feet, "That's not true."

He looked at her, perplexed. "AJ—that's impossible. You _can't_ be the bad one. You just—you can't be. I've seen you do so many things, and all of them have been with good intentions," he squeezed her hands, trying to reassure her, "AJ the Warrior that's bad would never do those things. So it's impossible."

She shook her head again. "I'm not the bad one either," she whispered. These were the words she'd never spoken before. They were so foreign to her tongue yet so normal for her mind.

"I don't understand AJ. If you aren't the good one, and you aren't the bad one… then what are you?" he asked, genuinely confused.

She looked up, meeting his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. The tears stung again, but she held them back. "Elijah, I'm both."

He said nothing, he just looked at her. For minutes, or maybe even longer than that, they were completely silent as he tried to accept this information. Every time he thought about it, he thought: _No, it's not possible. The Warrior can _only_ be good or bad. Not both._ But then when he compared the characteristics of the good Warrior and the bad one, he saw it clearly. That was why she was so careless. That was why she needed the adrenaline rushes. And yet she was always there for her friends—she would die for them. She was always happy and polite—and cynically sarcastic. But how was it possible? It _couldn't _be, could it?

"How?" he asked, looking back at her with widened eyes.

She didn't meet his gaze. "I don't know," she whispered. "Before I found out that I was the Warrior, and that I could be good or bad, I'd just thought that I—I don't know. That I had two different sides of me. That I was crazy. The good part—the one you've always seen—that's the dominate part. I have control over it, completely. But… the bad part. It's like this voice inside my head. When I think 'I hope Elena's okay', the other side of me thinks the complete opposite… it—it _wants_ her to be hurt. It imagines it." She looked back up at him helplessly, "What's wrong with me, Elijah? Why am I both?"

He shook his head slowly, "I have no idea. I've never heard of it happening before…" he saw the sad and lost look on her face, and caressed the side of her cheek once more, "AJ, I meant it when I said nothing could change the way I look at you. If anything, I look at you even better. You _fight_ that side of you, don't you?"

She nodded, "Every day." Every day was a fight for control.

He smiled slightly, "So you see? You truly are good. You won't let that side affect _this_ side of you."

She searched his eyes, her hope that hadn't even been there before coming to her. "Do you still love me?" she asked, the words feeling silly but very serious at the same time.

He looked at her with adoration. "Of course I still love you. Nothing could ever change that."

She smiled up at him, tears of happiness returning to her eyes. He was the most wonderful thing she'd ever had. Then she frowned. She suddenly remembered something that she should have remembered earlier that day. "Elijah," she began, staring unfocused at the wall, deep in thought, "What about the werewolf?"

He looked at her with confusion. "What are you talking about? What werewolf?"

She looked at him, alarmed, "The werewolf that was chasing Lucas and me last night."

Now he was even more confused. "AJ, there wasn't a full moon last night. You saw a werewolf?"

She nodded her head. "And there _was_ a full moon! I looked up and saw it. And that was when I saw the werewolf. I _swear_ Elijah," she said seriously.

He thought for a moment. "You're sure it wasn't just a normal wolf? It could have been desperate for food and appeared like a werewolf." It wasn't that he didn't believe her, but there truly was no full moon last night. How could she have seen one?

"Elijah I'm certain it was a werewolf. _And_ a full moon." She walked quickly into the kitchen and grabbed the calendar by the sink. She flipped to the right month and day. And she was shocked. She looked back up at Elijah, her eyes wide. "How is that possible? It—it says there won't be a full moon for two more weeks! But I _saw_ one."

Elijah walked over to her, his eyebrows furrowed together. "Yes, there will be a full moon in two weeks… that's when the sacrifice occurs. Perhaps the witch, Greta, survived? Perhaps it was a trick by Klaus or a test of some sort?" Elijah was perturbed. She truly believed she saw a werewolf and a full moon, so he believed her. But how could it be possible?

She shook her head. "I don't know. But something isn't right."

He nodded, agreeing with her. Then he grabbed her hands, giving her a reassuring look. "I will look into it and see why it happened, okay?"

"Okay," she breathed out, feeling suddenly relieved that he was there. She looked up at him, studying his eyes… his lips.

Elijah saw the way she was looking at him and suppressed the smile that wanted to appear on his face. He bent and kissed her passionately, putting his hands on her waist to pull her close. She returned the kiss fiercely, suddenly feeling a need she hadn't felt before. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, running it over the fangs that always came out whenever they'd kiss this way. He bent down and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he backed over to the couch and sat down, with her straddling him. She got more into the kiss, digging her nails into his skin and grinding on him, eliciting a moan from him as his hands began to explore her body, running gently along every curve. He moved his hands under her shirt, running up along her spine, and then circling to the front. He was about to take her shirt off when her cell phone rang. He groaned all pulled away from her, but kept his hands on her hips.

She looked at him apologetically. "Sorry," she said, annoyed as well by the interruption, "But there could be an emergency." He nodded with a frown, so she grabbed her phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"AJ! Are you all right?" Elena's voice came through panicked, "I heard you were in the hospital so I came to check up on you, but they said you left. What happened?"

AJ suppressed a sigh. Elena was obviously worried, so it was okay that it interrupted… whatever she and Elijah were about to do. "Yeah, Lena I'm fine. Just a car accident… kind of. I'll explain later." She hoped that her friend would get the tiny hint that said she was a little busy at the moment.

"Oh, did you already get your dress for the ball at the Lockwood's tonight?" Elena asked curiously.

"What? What ball?" AJ said, confused. This town had so many special dances and occasions that she couldn't keep up. That, and she'd been kind of focused on other things the past couple days.

"The one for the children's charity. You know, the one they have every year—it's like this big event and all the proceeds they make go to the children's hospital. You didn't know it was tonight?" Elena asked incredulously.

AJ sighed. "No, I've been kind of…," she looked at Elijah and the way she was sitting on him, "busy."

"Well are you still coming? I thought this was the one event you actually liked going to, you know, since it's for a good cause and everything. It really wouldn't be as much fun without you…" Elena said, trying to persuade AJ into saying yes.

AJ thought for a moment, but knew she couldn't really say no. Elena was right when she said it was the one event each year she really enjoyed going to since it was actually helping people. "Yeah, I'll be there. See you then." She hung up the phone with a huff, then looked at Elijah with a pout. "I don't suppose that you wouldn't mind being my date?"

He laughed and moved to kiss her forehead. "Of course I don't mind. That is, as long as we can continue this later…" He smiled at her wickedly.

AJ giggled, "Definitely." She got up and looked at him playfully, "But I might get too tired…"

He zoomed and picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to her room, "Oh, I'll make sure that doesn't happen." He put her down and kissed her again, then left her to get dressed.

She smiled to herself after he left. Maybe the ball would be fun, afterall.

**Tell me how it's going!(-:**


	50. Chapter 50

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 50

AJ's floor length tiered gown was the most beautiful shade of purple. It didn't puff out like most gowns did; it kept to her body but gradually went out at the bottom. There were tiny silver sparkles mixed into it, making it glint slightly off of light it would come in contact with. She finished curling her hair, letting it cascade down her back. Her bangs were dramatic, as usual, so she left them the way they were. She was already tall, so she didn't really have much of a need for high heels, but she put some on anyway. Elijah was a lot taller than her, so it would look fine. Once she'd put on silver earrings and a bracelet to match, she grabbed her clutch and made her way downstairs.

Elijah was waiting for her in the kitchen, his eyebrows going up slightly once he took her in. She looked absolutely beautiful. The color of the dress was perfect on her olive skin and went well with her dark hair. It contrasted nicely with her hazel eyes, too. He'd never seen a woman as beautiful as she was in that moment.

"You look wonderful," he said into her ear, then kissed her neck.

AJ smiled up at him once he pulled back. Although he was always wearing suits, he was rocking a tux tonight. She thought it made him look even sexier. "As do you," she said, grinning. He held out his arm to her, and she took it, giggling. They went out to his car and were on their way to the Lockwood's estate.

It was busy when they arrived, and it was only seven o'clock. The house looked wonderful—it was a mix of an indoor and outdoor party. AJ could see guests going inside, and some going around back where she knew the patio was from the many times she'd been to the house. Then she frowned. Many of those times had been so see Tyler, who no one had seen in quite some time. She wondered when he'd come back, or if he would at all. He hadn't even said goodbye to her, and Caroline had said the same thing.

Shaking herself clear of any sad thoughts, she focused on the fact that Elijah was opening the car door for her. He held out his hand, and she took it, stepping out of the car. She could hear people's voices floating around her with excitement; it was always fun to get dressed up for a night like this. She wondered where Elena and the others were.

Taking his arm, Elijah led them up to the house. Mayor Lockwood was standing at the entrance, greeting people.

"AJ," she said sweetly, moving from her place at the door to meet AJ and hug her, "It's so great to see you. And Elijah," she looked at him with a little surprise. AJ had been expecting this. "Why it's wonderful to see you too!"

"You look lovely, Mayor Lockwood," AJ said kindly. She'd always been fond of the woman.

The Mayor held a hand to her heart and gave AJ a pleasant smile. "Thank you dear," she said, and then she looked at AJ more seriously. "AJ… you wouldn't have happened to hear from Tyler, would you have? You're one of the people I know he'd contact if he needed to talk to someone…"

AJ looked at her sadly and shook her head. "No… I'm sorry. I've tried calling him, but he never picks up. I'm sure he'll come back around soon, Mayor." AJ looked down sheepishly, "I left home a few times, too, when I was trying to figure myself out. I always went back."

Mayor Lockwood nodded, "Thank you AJ," she said genuinely, then went back to greeting guests.

Elijah looked at AJ curiously as they entered the extremely decorated house. "You went back? Exactly how many times did you leave?"

"Uhh… Just a few," she said, purposely searching the room for Elena or Caroline so that she didn't have to look at him.

"A _few_? I thought you only left this one time?" Elijah said, trying to understand another piece of his gorgeous puzzle. She was still searching the crowds. "AJ, you can stop pretending to be looking for your friends. I can hear them, so I know where they are." He gave her a pointed look when she finally returned her eyes to his.

"I don't really know how many times I left," she said reluctantly, "Sometimes I would just leave for the night and try to get some peace by myself, so I could think. Sometimes I would leave for a little longer than that. This time, I told them that I wasn't coming back. I told them I needed to do this." She shrugged.

"But why would you leave all the other times? I thought you said you only left to come here because you felt that that was what you needed to do. I didn't think that there was something wrong at home…" He trailed off, searching her eyes. Had she been abused? Physically? Emotionally? Was there a better reason for her to not want to be home?

She sighed, and looked over to all the people dancing. Suddenly her favorite slow song came on—"Come on Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson. She smiled and looked back at Elijah. "Let's talk about it later. This is my absolute favorite song."

He held out his hand, taking hers and kissing it. "Then let's dance," he said as he led her to a spot that was open. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him as he put his hands around her waist, holding her close. They moved slowly to the music, both of their eyes closed as they simply enjoyed the others presence. Elijah moved his head so that their foreheads were touching, his lips only barely separated from hers by a small amount of space. He could hear her softly singing to the music as they swayed, so he opened his eyes a little and looked at her. She looked serene and happy, her eyes shut and her beautiful pink lips moving to form every soft word she'd sing. He loved to hear her sing. He could feel people staring at them as they danced, but he ignored it. He just focused on the precious thing in his arms. He closed his eyes again and listened to her sing, getting lost in the beautiful sound. When the song ended, they stopped moving but still held each other. Finally he bent down and kissed her sweetly, pulling away and giving her a smile. She smiled adorably back up at him.

Then she blushed as she looked around. A _lot_ of people were looking at them curiously, probably wondering what such a young girl was doing with a man. They really had no idea. Elijah put his finger and thumb on her chin to catch her eyes again. "Don't worry about them, love." He smiled down at her. She nodded her head and returned the smile.

"I suppose you would like to find your friends?" he asked, taking her hand and leading her slowly to the back of the house where he could hear Damon Salvatore's obnoxious voice. He could hear the others around Damon, too, but he especially despised the young vampire.

She nodded, grateful that he knew where they were at. With the amount of people at the ball, it would have probably taken her a half hour just to search the place if she were alone. She looked up at him lovingly as they walked, thinking she was far from being alone. With Elijah, she always felt right.

Then she heard Elena saying something about the décor. AJ looked over and saw all of her friends, excluding Bonnie, on the back patio. She smiled wide. It'd been a while since she'd seen them all together. Elijah let go of her arm, gesturing for her to go ahead and say hello. She smiled sweetly at him and pecked him on the cheek, then stepped onto the patio.

"Elena!" she said happily and pulled her best friend in for a hug. Elena returned it enthusiastically and pulled back to look at AJ. "You look amazing, AJ!"

AJ laughed. "Thank you, so do you!" Elena was wearing a beautiful teal dress that stood out in the crowd, making her look that much better.

Caroline squealed and hugged AJ too. "Hey!" she said happily, and then in a hushed tone, "You still haven't given me the details about you and Elijah," she gave AJ a pointed devious look. "Also," she said slightly louder, "You are in _so_ much trouble. You left without even saying goodbye last night, and today we hear you're in the hospital? What happened, AJ?"

AJ sighed. Now all of her friends were looking at her curiously. Damon didn't look happy.

"It's kind of a long story, so I'll keep it short…" she said, looking at her feet. "Klaus keeps humans as 'pets'… and well I went to go save whoever it was…"

Damon groaned. "Of course you did."

AJ shot him a dirty look. He returned it. "And it turned out to be… uhm, a friend of mine." She saw the way Jeremy was looking at her knowingly. "So on our way back to town, I was going too fast and hit a car. Elijah healed me, so I'm fine."

Everyone was silent for a moment, but Jeremy chose to speak up. "And who exactly was this friend?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He wondered if the others even knew about Lucas at all.

AJ sighed in exasperation. "Jeremy!" She glared at him.

Everyone looked between Jeremy and AJ, confused. Elijah crossed his arms where he stood beside AJ, but didn't interject. He knew that Jeremy knew almost as much as he did, and he was glad the boy wasn't happy about it either.

"What's going on AJ?" Elena asked, her eyebrows furrowed together.

AJ huffed and crossed her arms. "Nothing."

"It's so obviously something," Caroline pointed out.

AJ rubbed at her temples. "He was just an ex boyfriend. No big deal," she said shortly.

Jeremy laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, no big deal," he said sarcastically.

Elena sighed and narrowed her eyes at AJ. "Okaay. What is it that my brother knows about you that I don't? For the second time?" The first had been the medical condition.

"Guys! This is not the time or place to talk about it!" AJ said, looking at everyone incredulously.

Stephen, always reasonable, nodded. "She's right. We'll talk about it another time." He looked at AJ pointedly, "But we _will_ talk about it."

She shrugged. "Yeah, whatever." She gave Elijah a dirty look for not helping her out.

He shrugged at her. "You should have told them," he said simply. She pouted. He _so_ wasn't helping.

Small talk was made for a while, and it even included Elijah to show that they accepted him. Well everyone except for Damon, who made that clear. AJ had to squeeze Elijah's hand several times to remind him not to rip Damon's heart out. She could read it in his eyes that that was what he wanted to do. She could still see people walking in and out of the house giving Elijah's arm around her a curious look every now and then. Suddenly, all of her friends were going to go back into the house, but she held back.

She looked up at Elijah. "I'll be inside in a minute," she said, "I just want to catch my breath. I'm not used to being around all of them at the same time anymore." It was a little stressful, trying to keep up with things that she hadn't been a part of since she'd been spending all her time with Elijah.

He nodded, understanding. "Would you like for me to stay out here with you?"

She shook her head, "I'll just be a moment. I need to think." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be right in."

He nodded, studied her once, and then left to follow the others.

AJ looked out over the nice, peaceful night, enjoying the moment she had to herself. She was so happy to see her friends, but she was also just tired. There were still many people outside, she could hear them chattering to one another about this and that. Just small talk. The normalcy of it was relieving. She looked out over the landscaped yard, feeling the urge to take a walk. She didn't see any harm in it. Slipping off her high heels, she held them by the straps in one hand as she stepped off the patio and onto to the grass. It was cool under her feet, feeling nice with the cooler night air. She closed her eyes as she walked out to the forest that bordered their property, breathing in the fresh smell of pine and the outdoors. The nighttime was always something she found to be stress-relieving, and it was especially so when she felt a little pampered a pretty because of the dress she was wearing. There was a slight wind that pulled it a little to the side, as well as her hair. She opened her eyes, seeing that she was a little ways away from the house, but not extremely far away. She was at the midpoint between the house and the forest. The Lockwood's pool, out to her left, was lit up with some colorful floating lights on what looked to be lily pads. It was beautiful. In front of her, there were sparsely placed trees, not the very tall kind, but not short either. She was passing by one of them when out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something.

She turned, and her mouth opened as her heart started beating rapidly in her chest. _No._ Klaus.

He was leaning up against the tree, looking at her with some kind of emotion she couldn't read. Although she was certain he wasn't planning on going to the party, he was dressed like he was. It was the generic black tuxedo, but it looked… different on him. It looked good. She shook that thought away, trying to force her darker side into the depths of her mind. She remembered the dream and of how he appealed to that side of her. She wouldn't let it. Not now. She needed to get away from him—she wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He was angry, surely. Gripping her heels tighter in one hand and picking up a handful of her dress in the other to allow her feet to move more freely, she moved to run back to the house.

But of course, he was faster. He appeared in front of her and she stopped, just inches away from him.

"My, my," Klaus said in his musical accent as he reached out and ran his fingers down her jaw line, "Aren't you looking lovely tonight, AJ?"

She clenched her teeth, unsure of what to expect from him. He was so unpredictable that anything could happen. "What do you want, Klaus?" she asked, trying to keep any trace of loathing out of her voice, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want her worse side to enjoy anything at all. Not from him.

He looked into her eyes, smiling slightly. It looked wicked. "Why, I just wanted to talk. Do I have any reason to do anything otherwise?" He raised a knowing eyebrow at his rhetorical question. He was caressing her face now. If anyone from the party were to look at them, they'd merely think they were a couple, getting some time alone. That wasn't good.

"Klaus," she said, trying to be reasonable. She didn't want him to take her again and she didn't want anything bad to happen. She had to think. "What you were doing to Lucas was wrong. I had to help him."

"This is what I find so curious about you," he said, stroking her face now similar to the way Elijah would. The thought chilled her. "The boy deserved to suffer. You should have thought so, of all people. And yet you felt the need to help him. How strange." He began moving towards her, making her back up. She felt her back hit a tree, and her stomach sank again. She was trapped.

Klaus laughed suddenly. "Tell me something Warrior, did you really think that you got into _my_ home without my knowledge? Or even my help?"

She looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

He laughed again, "I _mean_ that it was a test. The entire thing. Your first sign should have been the unlocked door, darling. I was surprised that you didn't have enough common sense to realize that." He leaned towards her neck and smelled her. She held her breath as she watched him smile. This was not the Klaus she had expected to encounter. She thought he'd be more… violent. Of course, it'd only been less than five minutes. He could switch his mood like flipping a light switch.

"You _let_ me get Lucas out? Why? How was it a test?" She asked incredulously. She didn't understand a word he'd said. He'd left the door unlocked on purpose?

Klaus shook his head, chastising. "It was a _test_, dear, to see which one you were. The good Warrior or the bad one. And to see what you would do."

She had a very bad feeling now. "And?" she asked meekly. She wasn't sure what else to say.

"And the results were… interesting," he smiled wickedly. "You see, if you're the good Warrior, then you would have saved Lucas, that much is true. And you did that. But you would have felt compelled to do something for Katerina, as well. The idea of someone being imprisoned by _me_ would have appalled you. You wouldn't have been able to watch her in that cell, not even if you loathed her." He twirled a strand of her hair on his finger. "And if you are the bad Warrior, you would have let him suffer. You would have left him there. Both of them, actually. You wouldn't have been too bothered by the fact that Katerina was stuck there. So you see how it's interesting, AJ? You did both of those things. You saved Lucas, and yet you were not very bothered by leaving Katerina." He still wore the wicked smile, his eyes tantalizing as he looked at her.

She was afraid. Has he found out that she is in fact both good and bad? Oh no. No no no. She needed to think of a way to get away from him. "Why aren't you angry with me? Hurting me? I escaped and killed your witch. Why are you…" she hesitated, not really wanting to say it out loud, "touching me…?" It was true that he was definitely getting more into her personal space than he ever had before. Now, one of his hands was resting on her hip, and she wasn't sure what to think of it. Except that it disturbed her. Well, half of her.

He smirked. "You did not kill my witch, AJ. Greta lives, luckily. I came back just in time to give her my blood. But I can't say she's very happy with you." He tsked at her, somewhat playfully. "And yes, I was quite angry when I'd found that you left. But it only made me more curious. You see, there is something about you, Warrior, that is very enticing," he started running his fingers along her jaw line again, "Perhaps it is because I cannot figure you out." He shrugged, but continued touching her, watching where his hand would ghost over her skin.

She wasn't sure what that meant. What _any_ of it meant. What was going on? "What are you planning to do with me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice strong. She felt nervous. If she was out here for too long, Elijah would come looking for her. And that would not end well.

He tore his eyes away from her skin and looked into her own, the golden specks in them glinting off the small amount of light that made it to them from the pool. He could see a hidden wariness in her eyes, but her boldness seemed to dominate. It always impressed him to see her so daring. "I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you think I should do?" he asked with a smirk.

"I think you should let me go back and enjoy the party," she suggested, finding her confidence building up. He didn't act like he was going to hurt her for the things she did… But she still couldn't be sure. And she just didn't get what was up with the touchy-feely things he was doing. It made her want to shudder and at the same time—she wouldn't let her mind go there. She thought of Elijah. She thought of being in his arms. _That_ was what she wanted. Where she needed to be. But she wasn't sure if Klaus would make other plans or not.

**Give me your thoughts on the story!(-:**


	51. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Sorry I won't be updating as regularly.**

Chapter 51

Klaus was still looking at her wickedly and yet with curiosity at the same time. He hadn't said anything after she'd suggested that he let her go back to the party. She wasn't sure what was going through his head. They just stood there, her back up against the tree and his body pretty close to hers, and looked at one another. Until finally he spoke again.

"Another thing I find interesting, AJ," he began, putting a hand on the tree and leaning down near here, "was that after I sent that 'werewolf' after you, I followed you. And I saw you get hit by the car—"

"Wait, hold on," AJ said, holding up a hand as her eyebrows furrowed together, "_You_ sent the werewolf thing after me? How? And… how was the moon full? I checked a calendar and it says that there shouldn't be a full moon for another two weeks." That'd been the most civil and somewhat normal thing she'd ever said to him. It was a little shocking.

He laughed. "Like I said, AJ. Greta was not happy with you. She asked if she could test out some spells, and I figured she deserved to play with you a little. I asked her to use a werewolf," he said as if he were merely stating that there wasn't a cloud in the sky that night. Right. The werewolf thing wasn't a big deal at all. "Anyway," he continued, "I saw you get hit by the car. And I could smell the blood coming out of a gash on your leg—it was… very appealing. But all of this was just last night. And you do not seem to be injured." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "So I ask this only to be polite. May I examine your injury?"

Oh _no._ She thought things couldn't get any worse. What would he say when he saw she was completely healed? Would he know that Elijah is around? She wasn't sure what to expect. But she did know that if she told him no, he'd only get violent and more touchy. She sighed. This absolutely sucked, especially because the wound had been on her thigh… That was pretty close to a spot she didn't want him near. He was looking at her expectantly.

"Is this just so you can get touchier with me, Klaus? _How_ much older are you than me? That's just… creepy," she said, hoping to deter him. If he thought that it would repulse her to have him… look there, then would he reconsider?

Klaus laughed. "Trust me, AJ, if I wanted to be _touchier_ with you, I would simply do as I please. I was simply asking you out of courtesy."

"Right…" she sighed again. Suddenly, she wished she had said no to going to the ball. Yes, she had some fun with Elijah, but the things they were going to do before Elena called were a thousand times more appealing than the dance she'd had with him. And Klaus putting his hands where he shouldn't. She just wished she could be in Elijah's arms, right in that moment. But she looked back up at the reality in front of her and slowly nodded. She knew it was her best option.

"Fantastic," he smiled wickedly, but replaced it quickly with a gentleman-like somberness. He remembered exactly where he'd seen the injury, so he reached down to the bottom of her dress and lifted it so it only exposed the skin he needed to look at. And there was nothing there—not even a scar.

She was biting her lip and holding her breath, partly trying to control the side of her that liked the feeling of Klaus's knuckles just barely touching her skin near the side of her upper thigh, and partly trying not to fully shudder because he was so close. "See what you needed to yet?" she asked impatiently.

He returned her dress to the way it had been before and stood up straighter to study her. What an interesting creature. "Yes. Do you always heal so quickly? Or does another factor play into it?"

She couldn't tell if he was being serious or suggesting that she'd had help. She decided to play dumb. "I didn't realize other… factors could affect how quickly I healed? I just know that I heal a lot faster than normal humans do." She prayed he'd buy her act. She was actually a very good actress.

He nodded slightly and narrowed his eyes, examining her completely. He'd once come across a Warrior who could heal within _seconds_. That'd been a hard bitch to kill. It seemed to him that AJ's healing was either speeding up somehow—since he'd once seen her hurt and it took her longer than a day to heal from it—or she was getting blood. From an Original.

He took a step closer to her, putting his body only millimeters away from hers. She looked up at him, her eyebrows coming together. What was he doing?

"There are many things I do not understand about you, Warrior. But there is something I'm beginning to get," he said, deciding to actually use this approach. He hadn't in many, many years. But he could tell it was true with her. "Some part of you," he said, bringing his face close to hers as he caressed her face again, "has _some_ sort of… feelings for me. Am I right?" he smiled at her wickedly.

"Disgust?" she said, trying to look innocent. He could _not_ be realizing that. He couldn't be. It wasn't the dominate part of her! It was the small part that she fought! So those… feelings or whatever they were, they didn't count! _She loved Elijah._

He shook his head slowly and laughed. His dark blue eyes looked black in the night. "Oh no. I don't think its disgust." He'd heard the way her breath hitched in her throat and her heart began eating rapidly when he'd lifted up her dress. And he knew it hadn't been out of fear. The girl was fearless. He tilted his head a little bit, looking at her lips. Sending her the message of what he was thinking.

"Klaus! What—what are you doing?" She tried backing up more, realizing just what he was thinking, but she was still trapped between him and a tree. A tree whose bark dug into her skin, although that was the least of her worries. Had he lost his mind?

"Only what you want me to do, you just won't admit it," he said musically, leaning in further.

She was suddenly terrified—of herself. The part of her that actually _wanted_ to kiss him—the part she'd thought was small—was getting stronger and stronger. But she couldn't let it. She couldn't kiss _Klaus_.

"You're a sick monster!" she spat, turning her head away from his encroaching lips. She didn't know why he was trying to get to her in _that_ way, but she was thoroughly annoyed and disturbed. Mostly at herself. Now she almost wished Elijah would come and find her. But she knew that would end badly. Very badly.

He grabbed her arms and pinned them to the tree, but strangely found himself being gentle at the same time. He shrugged off the thought. He put his knee in between her legs to hold that part of her steady so that she'd stop kicking him. Now only her head wasn't cooperating. "AJ, darling, I ask you to stop trying to fight me. It won't end well for you."

"That's what you've said a bunch of times, and look! You still haven't hurt me!" she shouted at him, angry that he was so much stronger than her. She couldn't fight him off.

He growled. "Do not test me and my patience. I've only refrained from hurting you because I've made myself do so. I would have no problem inflicting just the right amount of pain on you to get you to beg for mercy," he said menacingly.

"Then do it! Go ahead and do it!" She felt helpless and alone and angry. She was being rash and stupid for yelling at him, but she couldn't control her temper. Klaus's fangs popped out and the area around his eyes turned dark with veins showing through. She felt dumb for provoking him—she was certain he'd actually hurt her this time. She closed her eyes and waited for him to strike. She wasn't sure how long she was held there with her eyes pinched shut, but when she felt no attack, she opened them back up. He was looking at her strangely—it was an emotion she couldn't read.

And then he was gone and she was free from his hard grasp. She rubbed at her arms and looked around, thinking he was playing some sort of sick game with her. But she didn't see him. He didn't come back. She grabbed the heels that had fallen to the ground at some point during their encounter and ran back to the Lockwood's house. She picked up her dress's skirts as she ran, her hair flowing behind her. She made it to the patio easily, not even out of breath, and continued to run to the door. She needed Elijah. She needed to feel his comforting arms around her, his breath tickling the back of her neck and her ears. She needed him. The after affects of being around Klaus were closing in on her, making her feel like she was suffocating. Somehow, a part of her darker side had been unlocked and she wasn't sure how to put it back in her cage. That scared her.

She was inside the house that was still full of people laughing and having a good time. How long she'd been out there, she wasn't sure. But she suspected Elijah was looking for her. She hoped he was. She stood on her tip-toes, searching the room for his face. But she couldn't find it. She pushed through people, looking this way and that, but she still didn't see him. Where was he? Where was Elena and the rest of her friends? Suddenly she heard Stephen's voice and turned in the direction of it. He was near the staircase, talking to the Mayor. She rushed over to him. When his eyes landed on her, he was surprised but relieved.

"There you are!" Stephen said to AJ, then saw the frantic look on her face. He turned back to the Mayor. "If you'll excuse us, I know Elena's been looking for AJ…"

"Yes of course," Mayor Lockwood said cheerily, "Have fun kids!"

Stephen was leading AJ towards the room that was a study and probably not in party-limits. Once they were out of ear-shot from the Mayor, he gave her his full attention. "Are you okay? Where have you been? We've looked for you everywhere," he said, sounding concerned. The pale look on her face wasn't helping.

"Where's Elijah?" she asked immediately, skipping his questions. She just wanted to find Elijah first.

Stephen gestured towards the study's closed door. She rushed over to it and he opened it for her, glancing around before he slipped in behind her.

Her eyes found Elijah pacing back and forth, his arms crossed as a worried frown stayed on his face. He looked up once the door opened and looked surprised once he saw her, then extremely relieved. She rushed up to him and he held his arms out, pulling her as close as he could, wrapping his arms around her. Her skin felt strangely cold. He kissed her forehead, the relief overwhelming. She'd been gone for an hour and no one had known where she went. From the way she was holding on to him, he had an idea that whatever had happened to her hadn't been good.

"It's okay, love," he murmured quietly in her ear so that her friends wouldn't hear it. But the other vampires in the room could, of course. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her. When he noticed she was shaking—he wasn't really sure if it was from nerves or the fact she was so cold—he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked at him appreciatively.

"Thank you," she said, and with just those two words everyone in the room could tell something wasn't right. They were all in the Mayors study—it was the only place they thought to go to get some privacy while they tried to track down AJ. Stephen had gone to talk to the Mayor if she'd seen AJ and to ask just how far the party out on the property extended when she'd shown up.

"What happened?" Elijah asked, still holding her close to him. He rested his chin on her head, still trying to warm her up.

She shook her head. "Can we go home?"

"Yes of course," Elijah answered without thinking twice. If she wanted to go home, he'd take her there. He'd do anything to make her feel better, even if he didn't yet know what was wrong.

**Tell me what you think!(-:**


	52. Chapter 52

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

Chapter 52

The look on Klaus's face—the unreadable emotion AJ had seen in his eyes as he'd held her pinned up to the tree—haunted her as Elijah drove them back to his estate. She stared ahead, her eyes unfocused as she played the whole encounter over and over again in her head. She couldn't understand what it'd meant—why he'd simply _left_ her there without harming her like she thought he intended to do.

Elijah kept glancing over at AJ, seeing the blank look on her face. He didn't want to disturb her thoughts, but he wanted to know what was wrong. He _needed_ to know what was wrong, and how he could make it better.

He pulled onto the drive that would take them up to the house and stopped a few minutes later in the garage. He used his vampire speed to quickly get out of the car and go over to AJ's side, opening the door for her. He held out his hand and watched as she slowly took it, grasping onto it as she got out. She tried shaking the thoughts off but it was hard. She decided she'd focus on Elijah's warm coat around her and his hand in hers. That was all that mattered. It was all she needed in that moment. Wasn't it?

Elijah chose to pick her up and take her to the living room, setting her down on the couch so she could sit. That was when he noticed the deep scratches on her back where the dress left her skin bare. They weren't very serious looking, but it made him angry anyway. He refrained from growling—he didn't want to upset her further. What had happened to her? He was afraid of the answer.

"AJ, love," Elijah said as he sat down next to her, once again taking her hand in his. "Please tell me what's wrong," he said softly.

She was looking at the floor but she nodded. "It was Klaus," she whispered, still a little stuck in her thoughts.

"Klaus?" Elijah asked with distress, trying to get her eyes to meet his. He should have figured that his brother had been at the party. "What did he do to you, AJ? Did he hurt you?" If he had, then Elijah wouldn't hesitate to try and kill him. He didn't care if he had witches and what not to guard him, he didn't even care that he could very well die himself by trying to attempt it—if Klaus had harmed _his_ precious AJ, he would do anything he could to make his brother suffer.

AJ shook her head slowly. "That's just it, Elijah. He didn't hurt me," she said softly, finally meeting Elijah's anxious eyes.

He searched her eyes, "I don't understand. Then what happened?"

She rubbed at her temples but still looked at him, the words coming out fast, "I was stupid, Elijah. I thought that going for a walk would be fine—there were so many people outside, I didn't see the harm in it. But when I passed a tree—he was there. He was waiting for me. He—he wasn't even mad. Everything with Lucas had all been a test! He'd wanted to see which Warrior I was—good or bad. And he'd seen that I had the characteristics of both of them! At the time, he didn't put it together—he didn't realize that I _am_ both_._ But I think he will, Elijah. He's smart. I think he will." She shook her head fiercely now and buried her face in her hands. That hadn't even been the worst of it.

Elijah put a hand on her back and began rubbing circles; trying anything he could to comfort her. But he could see that wasn't all that was bugging her. "AJ, we don't know if he'll figure it out or not. And we don't know what he'll do if he does. But what _I_ know, now, is that you're safe, love. Everything's fine now."

She didn't say anything. Everything was not fine. She wasn't fine. The part of herself that she'd kept locked up for so long was tearing off its shackles as she sat there, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"AJ," Elijah said softly, putting his fingers under her chin and bringing her head back up to look at her, "There's something else, isn't there? You can tell me. It's okay," he told her soothingly. He wasn't sure what else could have happened, especially since Klaus hadn't hurt her, but he knew it couldn't be good. Not if her eyes looked as if she were in shock and pain.

"Elijah… he—"she stopped. How could she tell him that? She couldn't tell him that he'd unlocked _that_ side of her. No. She'd have to face that on her own. But she could be truthful about other things. "He tried to kiss me. I don't know why—I don't know, Elijah. But he did."

Elijah let the growl escape from his mouth this time. "Is that how you got the scratches on your back?" he asked, barely containing his anger.

She nodded. "He—well he held me up against a tree. But he didn't Elijah. He didn't kiss me." But she did want him to, and Klaus somehow knew that. Elijah didn't, and she wasn't planning on telling him. It wasn't the right part of her that had wanted to kiss him, it was the _wrong_ part. The part that she never let around Elijah. The part that was telling her she wanted Klaus, right then and there. She was terrified of that part of herself.

Elijah nodded shortly at the information, breathing in and out of his nose to try and control his rage. No one would _dare_ to even _touch_ his AJ if they knew she was truly his. But he knew that Klaus would not respect the same thing. He would probably be appalled by the fact Elijah loved this girl—this beautiful and wonderful girl. But Elijah didn't care about that. He didn't want Klaus to play his seduction games with her. Elijah suddenly was eager for the sacrifice so he could rip Klaus's throat out. He wouldn't think twice about it.

"Elijah," AJ now said softly, seeing that Elijah was the one who needed comforting, "Elijah, he _didn't_ kiss me. He didn't. That's good. All right?" she asked, stroking her thumb over his hand as she held it, watching him.

"I know he didn't AJ, but he would have. What stopped him? How could you have stopped him?" he asked suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing together. Klaus wouldn't hesitate to do it, so why hadn't he? Why had he left her unharmed like she'd said?

AJ sighed. "That's just it Elijah. I asked him why he wasn't… hurting me. And he said that he could if he wanted to—then suddenly his fangs were out like he was _going_ to, so I shut my eyes and waited for it. But when I looked at him… he looked… I don't know how to even describe it. There was _some_ kind of emotion on his face… and then he let me go and just left. He simply left. I don't get why he'd do that."

Elijah stared at her with confusion still. He didn't understand it either. If she'd made Klaus mad enough, normally he wouldn't have thought twice about hurting her—Warrior or not. Elijah had seen Klaus kill Warriors for simply talking back to him or speaking without permission. So why hadn't he hurt AJ?

"I don't know either," Elijah said quietly, "Are you sure he was intent on hurting you? It wasn't just a bluff?"

"I'm positive," AJ said, sounding certain.

Elijah nodded, but then studied AJ better than he had earlier. She had dark circles under her eyes, showing signs of her exhaustion. It appeared that the dance truly had tired her out too much to continue what they'd been doing earlier. Not that he had thought to continue it in the first place—the timing was entirely inappropriate now. No, he would let her rest. She needed it.

"Love, you need to get some rest," he said softly, caressing the side of her face. He wished she didn't have to go through the things she did. It looked like it was weighing down on her. He wanted to take the stress of it all away.

She nodded. "I'll be upstairs in a minute."

"AJ—"

She smiled sweetly, "Only a minute, Elijah. I just need to think."

He nodded. "Okay." He stood and kissed her on the forehead, closing his eyes and relishing the contact. Before, when he'd been in the Mayor's office, he'd been afraid that he would never be able to do that again. But she was safe. She was with him, and she would sleep in his arms another night. That was all that mattered to him in that very moment. He let the rest of his worries go for a while and just focused on the fact that he still had her, and that was all he needed. He left the living room and made his way up the stairs to their room, preparing to sleep. He, too, was very tired.

She sat on the couch a moment after he'd left her, but then stood and made her way to the back porch off the kitchen. She opened the glass door and stepped out onto the patio, the silence of the night bringing peace to her. Closing the door behind her, she shut her eyes and breathed in the cool night air. She looked up and studied the stars, something she did when she needed to clear her mind. But her mind wouldn't lay to rest and accept the peace she was offering it. She was thinking of Klaus and how electric—how _good_—it had felt to have his lips so close to hers, his hands on her. She was thinking that she was so screwed.

After a few minutes, she went back into the house and to her and Elijah's room. She changed into a tank and shorts, and then climbed in to his waiting arms. Resting her head and her hand upon his bare chest, she thought that _this _was all she needed. Elijah. She didn't need the mysterious, dangerous, thrilling Klaus and his hot touch. Her darker side _wanted_ it, but _she_ didn't need it. She was happy with the soft, gentle touch that was Elijah as he wrapped his arms around her, just a little bit under her shirt. She smiled at the safety he surrounded her with.

**Tell me what you think! (-:**


	53. Chapter 53

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Sorry this is so very late! I've been way too busy lately to write, but I promise I'll try harder to get the time! I'm definitely continuing this story.(:**

Chapter 53

"Tell me something," AJ said to Elijah very seriously as she gazed into the full length-mirror that was in the bathroom just off of the kitchen, striking a different pose every few seconds. There was a frown planted on her face and her eyebrows were pulled together.

"Yes, love?" Elijah asked from a chair on the breakfast bar. He turned to her as she walked out, regarding the somber look on her face with an equally serious look. He knew that she'd gone through a lot the previous night, but he wasn't sure just what was bothering her at the moment.

She put a hand on her hip, searching Elijah's eyes for complete honesty. "Do these jeans look absolutely horrible on me? Do they make my legs look like tree trunks?"

Elijah looked at her seriously a moment longer, then burst out laughing—which was something only AJ could elicit from him. "AJ," he said, letting his gaze drift up and down her body with obvious wanting, "They look positively terrific on you." He refrained from adding 'Although they would look even better off,' because he wasn't sure how she would take the suggestion. After last night, he didn't want to pressure her into anything—especially not something like that. He wanted that to come at the right time.

"Okay," she said, sounding like she half believed him as she looked down at her legs. They were new dark skinny jeans that she hadn't had a chance to wear yet and they were beautiful, but she had doubt that they looked good on her. She thought maybe she was just a little off her game because of the night before and this was her subconscious's way of distracting herself. She was usually very confident with herself—not arrogant and pompous, just confident. She didn't feel it as much at the moment. She sighed and decided to just shrug it off. Besides, Elijah wouldn't lie to her.

That thought made a little voice in the back of her head add: _the way you're lying to him._ She shoved that voice to the very back of her mind. She didn't want to think about that. Not now, not with him in front of her, looking at her lovingly.

"Do you have plans for the day?" Elijah asked, and she thanked the universe for a distraction.

AJ shrugged and grabbed an apple from a bowl on the breakfast bar, taking a bite out of it. "I was maybe going to go see Elena," she said in between bites. "I thought we needed some time to just hang out, you know? The sacrifice is soon… and well… I don't know," she sighed, looking to the floor and frowning.

Elijah studied her. "You're very worried about her," he stated grimly. He didn't want for AJ to worry—_he _had taken it upon himself to be the one to do that when he fell in love with her. After she discarded her apple into a waste basket, he stood up and went to her. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"AJ…"

She shook her head. "Elijah, please. Yes, I am very worried about Elena, but I don't want to hear about how I don't need to. I'm going to worry no matter what—she's my best friend," she said, finally picking her eyes up to look into his understanding ones. The many ways he looked at her—understandingly, lovingly, adoringly—always made her heart flutter in her chest. Even through her worry, this was no different.

He smiled softly at her, bringing up a hand to caress her face. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. Yes, he could always make her feel better.

"I understand. I just wish you would… worry less," he told her as he rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek.

Her shoulders slumped slightly. "Me too. But I can't—that just isn't how it works for me."

He nodded, then swiftly bent and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. She squealed at the suddenness, then giggled as he began to place light kisses on her neck, moving so that he could place her atop one of the counters.

"Could this make you worry less?" he asked mischievously as his lips slowly moved up her neck, making her shiver. He wasn't planning for it to lead to anything more serious unless _she_ wanted it to; he just wanted to lighten her mood.

AJ giggled again as her hands found a way into his hair, pulling at it lightly whenever he'd kiss a sensitive spot. "Well it _could_, I suppose," she replied playfully.

"You suppose?" He pulled back and tried to look at her seriously, but couldn't help that the sides of his mouth pulled up into a slight smile. He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, love, what I can do, then?"

She tapped a finger on her chin, smiling all the while. "Hmm… Well… we could go on an actual date, like normal couples do," she tried to suggest it casually as she bent and kissed his neck now, sucking on it a little, making him hold on a little tighter to her small waist.

"A date?" Elijah mused, "Darling, you only had to ask." He smiled at her, seeing that it was truly something she wanted to do. And he had the perfect idea.

Decidedly taking advantage of the fact he had her trapped in the position on the counter, in between him and the wall, he moved in and took her lips with his own. She wrapped her legs around him tighter, bringing him as close as possible as his hands found their way on her thighs, rubbing up and down slowly. When given the chance, she breathed in and out heavily, the passion between them stirring up strong emotions inside of her. She took her hands out of his hair and found the top button on his dress shirt, managing to unbutton the shirt as she continued to kiss him back feverishly. Once it was fully unbuttoned, she placed her hands on his hard, muscular skin, tracing her fingers over every inch of it, slowly pushing the shirt off his arms and onto the floor. He was surprised by this new fervor she was showing, but responded by running his hands over her back as they were up under her shirt, then moving them down to pull it up at the bottom. He'd thought only moments ago that they'd wait for this part of their relationship, but at the way she was touching him and pulling at him as he was reciprocating, he could tell that there wasn't much doubt about what would happen next. After he successfully maneuvered her shirt off, he pulled his lips away from hers and placed them at her collarbone, working his way down from there. She moaned in delight as she felt his tongue slide out over her skin. But as soon as one of his hands moved way up onto her thigh, she froze completely, the scene of her and Klaus last night returning to her full force.

Sensing the change in mood, he drew back and looked at her, searching her eyes for the problem. "What's wrong? I thought we were… AJ if I crossed a line, please tell me," he said, unsure of himself. He'd thought that she'd wanted him to continue in the manner they'd been in, but her hesitance and wide eyes told him otherwise. He brushed some hair away from her face.

She shook her head slowly, angry at herself for letting the thoughts in when she and Elijah were having a wonderful moment. Klaus had no place in her mind—he wasn't allowed to be there. And yet he was, and so was the way she'd wanted him last night. She couldn't forget that. She wasn't sure how to.

"AJ… please say something," Elijah's voice was stained as he looked at her, uncertain whether he should remove his hands from her completely.

"It's—it's just that..." she put her hands on her head, pinching her eyes shut. "Oh god Elijah. I'm so sorry," she said miserably.

"Hey," he caught her chin between his fingers, making her look at him, "Tell me. What's wrong? You have nothing to be sorry about."

She sighed. "Yes, I do actually. He's getting to me… he's actually getting to me." Tears rushed into her eyes spontaneously, something she wasn't used to. They stung, so she pinched her eyes shut and opened them again, just letting them fall. She felt weak. But she knew she could let her guard down in front of Elijah. If anything, she _had_ to.

"Klaus?" Elijah asked, even though he didn't need to. It was written all over her face. He gently wiped away a few tears with his thumbs.

"Yes," she whispered, her eyes shut now. She couldn't look at Elijah when these stupid thoughts about Klaus were going through her head. Her better side suddenly hated him with a fierce and biting passion. She wished he was dead in a way she had never wished for someone to die before. But her other half just continued to want more. It wanted to see him—to _touch_ him. It was curious about the monster named Klaus, the monster that could very well kill her. Or figure her out, since he was curious about her, too. She figured that'd end in death as well.

"AJ," Elijah said softly, his hands on her arms, trying to soothe her. "He can't get to you unless you let him. You have to fight it—whatever it is that's getting to you. You have to fight it."

She sobbed now, catching both of them by surprise. "You don't understand Elijah! Last night—it changed things! It made it harder!" Her common sense told her to shut up after the first sentence, but she couldn't help herself. She was terrified that she would do something stupid. Klaus was enticing her conscious thoughts now, and she knew that was a terrible sign.

Elijah pulled her close and held her, letting her cry into his bare chest. He ran his hands up and down her back, murmuring in her ear that everything was okay. She responded by shaking her head as she sobbed and he grew more worried. He'd never seen her so distressed.

"What made it harder, love?" he prodded gently, trying to understand what she'd said he couldn't. "What did he do to you to make things change?"

"No… you don't want to know. Elijah you don't want to know," she whispered. Her sobs had ended for the most part, but her breathing was rapid and tears still fell down her cheeks.

"I can't stand seeing you like this," Elijah said, strained, "I do want to know, AJ. Please tell me."

She pulled back from his comforting embrace and wiped at the tears she allowed to fall, suddenly feeling self-conscious because of it. She didn't cry often, and especially not that hard. Her red rimmed eyes found his chocolate ones. "It's—it's that part of me," she told him in a voice that sounded like surrender. She didn't want to tell him, but he was the only one she could talk to. The only one she trusted with it. "The darker part. He… gets to it somehow. And it gets bigger—_stronger_. A lot harder to fight. I'm sorry Elijah," she said miserably, the tears returning but she wiped them away with the back of her hand, "I wish I was stronger."

He ran a hand through her hair, stroking it soothingly, looking at her with concern. "You are strong. I told you before you're the strongest person I know. We'll just have to find a way to fight this together. I can help you, love."

She nodded her head. He'd help her. She'd never had anyone help her before—especially when it came to dealing with emotions—and that meant the world to her. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Just as he nodded back, the doorbell rang.

AJ's eyebrows furrowed together as she looked up at Elijah. "Were you expecting someone?" As far as she knew, the only person who knew she and Elijah were here specifically was the gardener. And… Elena. AJ had told her in case of an emergency, but that was it.

Elijah shook his head slowly, no doubt listening to try and hear who was at the door. "No. Were you?"

"No. Who could it possibly be?"

Suddenly Elijah's eyes went dark and angry.

"Elijah? What's wrong?" AJ asked, picking up her discarded shirt and pulling it back over her head quickly, sensing some sort of distress.

"I'll kill him," Elijah said quietly and menacingly, his eyes holding the exact threat within them.

She wasn't sure who it was, but she prayed it wasn't who she _thought_ it could be. That wouldn't end well.

**Reviews are appreciated! Tell me what you think!(-:**


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: I am so so so **_**so**_** sorry that it has taken me **_**this**_** long to update! Summer is truly when I have my busiest schedule, and I've also been working on other writing projects. I apologize completely. I hope to keep up with updates much better now. I still know exactly where this story is going. **

Chapter 54

"Elijah?" AJ asked with fear in her voice as she watched him quickly snatch up his shirt and put it back on properly, tucking it into his dress pants. There was a scowl on his face. A very scary one. "Elijah, who is it?"

He shook his head. "Just stay here," he said gruffly.

AJ, of course, didn't listen to him. She hopped off the counter and followed him to the front door. He gave her a disapproving look. "I said—"

She held up a hand. "I know what you said. But if you're going to kill someone, I at least want to know who it is just in case it's… someone I know," she said, trying to sound reasonable. She had a pretty good idea who it was and why Elena would tell him where to find them. Her stomach was tied up in anxious knots. He was forever doing stupid things.

Elijah sighed. "You will not want to see this," he warned, trying to get her to leave him to deal with it. He knew it probably wouldn't do any good—she was stubborn.

She held her chin up. "Which is why I'll probably stop it."

Elijah's eyes grew dark once more as the doorbell rang yet again. "I do not understand why you always try to protect him," he said. Then turned and opened the door with his vampire-speed, giving Lucas a death glare that had been enough to make some people faint on the spot many years ago. He was sure it was still as intense as ever.

AJ stared at him, still shocked that he was there even though she'd suspected it was him all along. His arm was in a sling, held close to his side, and he had a few stitches by his left eyebrow, but that was all the damage done by their accident when they hit the car. He was shifting from foot to foot, obviously trying his best to keep eye contact with Elijah, but he was squirming under the pressure of it. AJ could see him gulp.

Elijah shook his head slowly and threateningly. "Boy. I told you I would kill you if you ever tried speaking with her again. Was I not clear enough?" Elijah slowly advanced on Lucas, making the boy back up onto the porch more.

It took Lucas a few seconds to recover. He cleared his throat. "Uhm—Elijah," he began, looking from his feet to Elijah's hard eyes, "I just came to—"

"You have no right being anywhere near her," Elijah interrupted bitterly, his hands clenched at his sides from boiling anger, "Obviously you haven't yet learned that lesson. I suppose that means its time—"

"Just let him speak, Elijah," AJ said quietly from the doorway, but with conviction. Elijah turned to look at AJ unhappily, and she met his gaze. "Please." She, in no way, had any feelings for Lucas. None at all—she actually very much disliked him. But she could see he came out here for a reason and pitied him. And she really didn't want to see Elijah rip his heart out.

"Then speak," Elijah turned back towards Lucas, the coldness still in his voice as he raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Yes—sir," Lucas said, still struggling to find his words. "I just—I wanted to apologize. To you, and to AJ. I know you won't let me talk to her alone," Elijah growled at this, but Lucas turned his gaze to AJ, "but I just wanted to tell you, A, that I was wrong. Elijah," Lucas gestured sheepishly at him, "is good for you. I can see that—he takes care of you. He protects you. I—I never did any of that. So I'm sorry," he said genuinely. AJ nodded, but that was all. She still pitied him. Lucas turned his attention to Elijah now, with just the smallest bit of confidence that was cracking every second he felt the weight of Elijah's stare on him. "And I'm sorry for the things I said to you—and for interfering with… things." Lucas looked back down at his feet, seemingly finished with his little speech.

Elijah still stared coldly at him until AJ nudged him in the side and gave him a pointed look. He returned the look acidly, but took in a breath, trying to calm himself, and nodded. "Fine."

AJ almost laughed out loud at his abrupt attempt to accept an apology. But she guessed a 'fine' was better than a bloody heart lying on the ground. She still gave Elijah a chastising look, which he ignored.

AJ looked back at Lucas curiously. "You knew it was dangerous to come and say that. Why did you?"

He met her eyes sadly. "I didn't want to leave things the way I did. I told you before—I've changed. I'm not the person I used to be, and I don't ever want to be that person again."

AJ nodded with understanding. Elijah was still clenching his fists, keeping himself from breaking the boy's neck, just barely. AJ noticed after a moment, so she stepped out the door and in front of Elijah. He tensed even more.

"I think you'd better go, now, Lucas," she said in a warning tone. She wasn't sure how much longer Elijah would contain his anger.

He nodded, still looking at her sadly. "I will. I just wanted you to know I was sorry. Goodbye, AJ."

She watched as he left, getting into a car she'd never seen before. It was silent between her and Elijah until he was down the drive and out of sight.

"You should have let me do what was proper, AJ," Elijah said angrily, but she could tell it wasn't directed at her.

"You think killing him for apologizing is proper?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. It would have been if I weren't with…" he trailed off and sighed again.

"If you weren't with me," she stated, understanding.

He nodded, his eyes cast down. "Is that so horrible of me?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I don't think so. You had different ways before we were together—I know that. And so did I. But I take it as a compliment that you see it wouldn't be the proper thing to do now."

He still didn't bring his eyes up; he just stared at the lawn. "Doesn't that make me like him, though? The fact that I used to be one way, but now I'm not?"

She shook her head confidently. "Elijah, I know you've done bad things. I know that. But you and Lucas are _not_ the same—not at all. I love you, and I know you love me. _You'd_ never hurt me. _He_ did. See the difference?"

He looked at her, his eyes holding nothing but love. "You puzzle me," he said simply.

She laughed out loud, smiling widely. "I could say the same about you."

He smiled slightly before pulling her close and kissing her. But this time it was interrupted by the ring of her cell phone in her back pocket.

AJ groaned, annoyed. Elijah looked at her with his lips pulled up just a fraction on the sides, amused.

She pulled out the phone and checked caller ID, like she taught herself to do after Lucas called one too many times. But this number wasn't put in her phone—it was unfamiliar to her. She looked at it, confused.

"Who is it?" Elijah asked curiously.

She shook her head, "I have no idea."

AJ answered it and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"AJ, darling, so wonderful to hear your voice," his smooth voice poured through the phone, and she could hear the smirk she was certain he was wearing wherever he was.

Her eyes went wide and Elijah looked at her, alarmed. "Klaus," she stated calmly, proud of herself for the ability, "How did you get this number?"

Klaus laughed. "You act as if I don't live in this day and age, Warrior. I have my ways."

She stared at Elijah, seeing him become angry again. It didn't seem that the day would go all that well anymore. She could tell it was probably going to be one of those days when she just couldn't catch a break. Like yesterday. And the day before that. She was starting to notice a trend.

"What do you want?"

Klaus sighed dramatically. Vampires. "I would like to propose a meeting," he said, his accent sounding smooth and wonderful, enunciating just the right part of the words he spoke. She pushed that thought out of her head. Focusing wasn't something easy to do with him on her mind, but she had to do just that, or things could go badly.

"A meeting for what?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh don't act that way, Warrior. It's simply a meeting. I'm afraid we never finished our talk last night," he said casually.

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "Yes, and why was that? You sure left in a hurry."

"I suppose you'll have to come to the meeting if you're really that curious," he said a little wickedly.

She laughed now, genuinely. "Yeah, because I'm _that_ stupid."

"Warrior," Klaus said very seriously, a complete reverse in his tone, "I am being civil to you. I suggest you give me the same courtesy. This time I've decided not to take you against your will. But you _will_ come, and I will allow you to leave when we're through."

AJ was a little speechless for a moment. It didn't really sound like it wasn't against her will, even if he wouldn't be kidnapping her. She saw Elijah shaking his head with a scowl.

"I take your silence as agreeing. Go tonight to the cemetery near the school. Come alone—I will know if you aren't. I look forward to seeing you," he said, and she could once again hear the smirk in his voice. Then he hung up.

"Don't think for even a second that you're going, AJ," Elijah said as soon as heard the call end, fuming. He wanted it to be the night of the sacrifice. He wanted to rip his brother's heart out for taunting the girl that belonged to _him._ For playing these little games with her. He wasn't sure what Klaus had planned for the night, but he wouldn't allow her within a mile of him.

AJ walked back through the front door slowly, thinking. Elijah was on her heels, but she didn't notice. She desperately wanted to know why Klaus had left her the way he had. Part of her _needed_ to know, needed to understand the look he gave her. She just couldn't put it together on her own. And both parts of her were equally curious. But her common sense said it would be downright stupid to actually comply and go to the cemetery to meet Klaus. She couldn't know what he had planned or what it was he specifically wanted to talk about—other than trying to convince her to join him, as usual. But what would happen if she didn't go?

The intuitive in her said that nothing good would happen. If anything, the complete opposite of 'good' could be used. She had to go. She knew it. It was just a matter of convincing Elijah, now.

"Elijah," she said carefully as she navigated her way back to the living room, "Can we just talk about—"

"There is _nothing_ to talk about," he stated with a tone of definiteness as he used his vampire-speed to stand in front of her with his arms crossed, blocking her from walking any further. Weeks ago, AJ would have thought that maybe, just _maybe_, it would be inexorable to convince him. Now, she knew other ways.

"Elijah," she said lightly, reaching out to pull his arms uncrossed but he stepped away. It seemed he knew where she was headed. She sighed and pouted. "Not fair."

He raised an eyebrow, but a scowl was still on his face. "That's not fair of _you_. AJ, you will not be permitted to go. That's that."

AJ cast her eyes to the floor, but still shook her head with conviction. "Elijah, I _have_ to. If I don't, there will be consequences. You know Klaus better than anyone—so you know _that_."

Elijah stared at her hard, his gaze boring into hers. But she could see the slight sway on his decisiveness. She knew she had to pounce on that bit of doubt while she had the chance.

"What if I don't show and he does decide to just take me again? Or what if he took one of my friends instead?" she voiced, throwing out all the doubting questions she could think of. "Elijah, please understand that I can't let anything happen to them. Not a thing—I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And you heard Klaus. He'll let me return on my own freewill—he isn't taking me again. Not if I show up tonight."

Elijah still didn't say anything; he stood as still as a statue, his eyes dark and intimidating. He shoulders—held high with the once complete belief that he wouldn't allow this—dropped ever so slightly. Hope flared in AJ's heart.

"I understand that you value your friends' lives more than your own, AJ, but it's not the same for me. I'd choose your life over theirs without a moment's hesitation." He looked at her apologetically, and she felt all hope diminish. "You aren't going, even if I have to stay by your side and keep him from you until the sacrifice."

**Review and give me your thoughts! Reviews honestly help me stay up to speed on updating—they make me want to write more!(-:**


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: I love how a lot of people knew I was still going to have her go to the meeting. She's sneaky, isn't she?(-; I'm also hoping my writing is a lot better than before—I found it to be lacking in some ways. **

**Chapter 55**

The night was darker than most of the previous nights, as if sensing AJ's thoughts as she lay awake. Her head rested on Elijah's hard, chiseled chest as he slept beside her. Even in his sleep, his arms were around her waist, tight as iron. She knew that was no way to escape.

Moonlight streamed through the dark curtains in his room, the only break in the black of the sky besides the shining stars. The window had been kept open for the peaceful slight breeze. AJ could hear the chirping of crickets outside. She glanced over at the clock on Elijah's bedside table. It read 11:49. She wasn't certain how large the window of opportunity was to go and see Klaus—he hadn't exactly been specific and set a time.

Ignoring the guilt building up inside her heart, she began her escape plan. She flinched, waking Elijah. His grip tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to his body as he lifted his head and regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, and then saw the fear on her face as she glanced over to the open window. "AJ, what's wrong?"

She shook her head slowly. "I… It's probably nothing," she said with lingering doubt in her tone. "Just go back to sleep." She went to rest her head on his chest again, but made sure she still looked thoroughly chilled.

Elijah sat up a little and put his thumb under her chin, preventing her from lying down again. He looked into her eyes, searching them. "AJ, what is it? You look frightened. Tell me what's wrong."

She looked down, frowning, and then glanced back to the window. "I just… well, I thought I heard something. But I'm sure it's nothing, Elijah. I'm sorry I woke you."

He looked from her to the window, his expression turning from impassive to worry. "Would it make you feel better if I checked?" he asked seriously, turning his gaze to her again. He stroked the side of her cheek with the back of his hand absentmindedly.

She looked down at her hands, embarrassed. "I'd feel silly if it turned out to be nothing." Peeking up at him, she watched his eyes flick to the window once more, then back to her.

He shook his head and smiled lightly at her, kissing her forehead. "You should never feel silly for something like this. I just want to make sure you're safe." With that, Elijah pulled the sheets off him and slid from the bed to stand. He went over to the window, still shirtless, and stood perfectly straight as his eyes examined the property scrupulously. Seeing a flicker of movement in the forest where the trails were, he narrowed his eyes. He closed the window and quickly went to the bureau to grab a shirt and pull it over his head.

"Stay here," he said briskly as he made he shut the bedroom door behind him on his way out.

AJ exhaled, feeling the guilt increase to tenfold. He was genuinely worried for her, and she'd led him to that. But she had to focus. She needed to get to the cemetery. Sliding out of bed, she went to change from her sleeping shorts and tank to her boots, dark skinny jeans, a graphic tee and a light jacket as quietly as she could; knowing Elijah's hearing was more than exemplary.

She tip-toed toward the door, feeling surprisingly natural at being quiet and stealthy. She supposed she snuck around a little too much, these days. The thought added more stress to the knots in her stomach. Turning the doorknob slowly, she waited until it stopped to pull the door open, then switched and grabbed the other knob as she replaced the door in its closed state. Navigating the house in the dark was easy—she was so familiar with it now, she knew she wouldn't make any mistakes. She went down the stairs, through the kitchen, and silently out the front door.

Pausing before stepping down to the earth below, she listened. Still only the chirping crickets could be heard and the whisper of the leaves in the wind. She stepped down finally and headed, crouched, down the long drive of the estate. She'd had an escape plan even before Elijah had made up his mind and said no. It was only after he'd truly said it that she'd texted Elena, asking her to leave a bicycle hidden in some of the brush at the end of the drive. Elena had questioned why, and AJ had kept the answer vague. But she knew Elena came through with the request. She was her best friend, after all.

Once at the end of the drive, she squinted through the dark to try and spot the bike. It was underneath sticks and long grass, off the side of the road. AJ smiled. Although a bike wasn't much, and would definitely take a lot of energy and time to get to the cemetery, it was all she could afford to use. A car would have instantly alerted Elijah, therefore impeding the plan.

She picked the sticks and grass of the bike, and then lifted it up, setting it on its tires in the street. Without allowing another guilty thought to pass through her mind, she hefted one leg over it and began to peddle as fast as she could. She knew the way well enough to the cemetery, especially since it was near the school.

A little over a half hour later, she was coming upon the road to the school. So far, she hadn't passed many cars or come across any angry vampires pissed at her for lying and sneaking off. For the latter, she felt extremely grateful. But she knew it would only last for so long. Banking off onto the road on the right, she peddled even faster, pushing her limits. Sweat stuck to her neck lightly, but the breeze was keeping her cooled down for the most part. Passing the school, she peddled a few more minutes until the small one-car drive for the cemetery came into view. She slowed down, banking onto the drive, and let the bike gradually move into a leisurely speed.

The cemetery was creepy at night. Although she wasn't one to scare easily—at all—she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stick up as goose bumps rose on her covered arms. She looked around, seeing nothing but a variety of styled and colored headstones in the fine mist that was building up steadily. She hadn't checked the forecast that evening to see if it would rain. The light jacket she wore wouldn't be enough protection against any droplets from the sky.

As if irony was making its way into her night, she spotted his slightly curled, dirty blonde hair first, from where he stood under the cover of a tree. Around him were the grounded dead from centuries ago, rather than those more recently buried. His hair stuck out in the black of the night, like a beacon shining lightly in the sliver of moonlight that reached him through the fine mist.

She got off the bike quietly, resting it aside AGITHA HAMRULL's tall headstone. She didn't think the woman would mind.

Approaching him with trepidation in her stomach, she also felt a flurry of butterflies. She knew the darker part of herself was excited to see him. She tried to quell the feeling. Leaves and other bits of nature crunched under her usually soundless boots as she made her way over to him, clenching her fists nervously.

He turned to her, his expression completely masked as it sat stone-like upon his face. His eyes were the only thing that moved as he took her in, slowly, from head to boots, then back again. Then he smiled, the sides of his full lips showing no sign of his true age; instead they showed off the handsome angles to his face. He was wearing a jacket, a deep blue shirt, and dark jeans. AJ took in a breath as she stopped several feet before him, trying to get a hold on her better side and keep it there, within.

"AJ," he said delectably in that accent that would now often haunt her dreams, "So good to see you've finally made it. I was beginning to worry."

She raised a sardonic eyebrow. "I'm sure," she said, unconvinced. Crossing her arms to stop her nervous habits from showing, she looked him in the eyes. "Why did you want me to come here, Klaus?"

The smile diminished on half of his lips, but stayed curved perfectly on the other side as he looked at her. "Well _here_ in particular," he said, gesturing to the cemetery around them, "I had no true reason other than privacy. Since the other body has been found, I don't think we'll need to worry about any encroaching teenagers in this area. As for your implication to this meeting, I found I was looking to have some company." He held up a dark bag AJ hadn't noticed until then. "I'm quite the fan of midnight snacks," he said, nodding towards the bag and then a beige-colored blanket covering a large square in the grass under him, "would you care to humor me?"

AJ's eyebrows scrunched together. "If you think I'll let you drink—"

"You misunderstand," he cut her off, though his voice was kind and light, "I did not mean to imply I wanted _you_ as a snack." He laughed now, and a flame of something danced in his eyes.

AJ regarded him warily. "You want me to sit and… have a _picnic_ with you?"

Klaus rolled his eyes now. "Calling it a _picnic_ sounds so… erroneous. I prefer midnight snack."

"Uhm…" AJ glanced around, suddenly feeling off. This had been far from what she'd expected. "All right."

Klaus settled down on the ground, leaning against the tree behind him. He set the dark bag next to him and began to pull out food—it appeared to be bagels and a jar of peanut butter. AJ was perplexed.

Klaus looked up at her with humor. "Are you going to sit? Would you like for me to find you a chair, instead?"

AJ shook her head as she collected her bearings. She carefully sat on the blanket, as far away from him as she could be. He noted this with some humor as well.

Klaus pulled a knife out of the bag, and AJ flinched slightly. However little she did, it had been clear and visible to him.

"I have no intention of hurting you, AJ, as I do keep reminding you," he said as he opened the jar of peanut butter and began to spread some of it on a bagel with a knife. He kept his eyes on the task at hand, although she figured he could easily do it without looking. "You may relax."

AJ's shoulders did relax surreptitiously at his words, and she was glad he couldn't tell.

"Have you ever had one of these?" Klaus asked as he handed AJ the peanut butter-covered bagel. She pinched it carefully between two fingers, aware of his hands close proximity.

"No. You like these?" she asked, just to break some of the silence. She didn't like silence—not when Klaus was around. It gave her thoughts time to roam into places she shouldn't be.

"I find I rather do," he answered as he prepared one for himself. "Greta once made one for me. I've been quite attached to them ever since."

AJ peered at him curiously. It'd been the most normal, mundane conversation they'd ever had. And it was even odder to her that he'd favor any kind of _food_. She figured he'd rather talk about a favorite blood type than a favorite food.

"Well," he said after taking a bite and swallowing, "Try it. I promise it isn't poisoned," he added lightly.

AJ looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then at the bagel. She bit into it, surprise when it turned out to be quite delicious.

"Yes, I'd had that same reaction," Klaus said with a light laugh, sensing her thoughts. He watched her steadily and carefully as she continued to eat. Her hair was let down in loose, careless waves that framed her face agreeably, like her bangs. Her eyes were suspicious and aloof, but still shone well in the moonlight.

Having eaten a few more bites of the delicious bagel, she stopped and looked up at him. He'd been watching her. A blush crept onto her face, heating it through the cool night.

"What happened last night?" she asked quietly, meeting his gaze. "You were about to attack me, and then you just left."

Klaus didn't break his gaze, nor show any other sort of emotion. "I have my reasons," he said vaguely.

AJ frowned. "You said you'd tell me if I came." She gestured around them. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Klaus chuckled lowly. "Yes, you are. But I feel I must point out I didn't say I'd tell you anything. I merely said that if you were curious, you should come."

"So you twisted your words up," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

He sighed and finished eating his bagel. She still had half of hers left. "I said what I needed to, I suppose."

"Needed to for what?" she pressed, not the slightest bit happy that he was cleverly playing with her, "Klaus, why did you want to see me? What's so important that I had to be here?"

Klaus's face went blank of any emotion whatsoever. "You came alone, I see. That was wise of you," he commented, deflecting the question.

She allowed the change of topic, if only momentarily. "And what would you have done if I hadn't?"

Klaus shrugged. He looked at the grass, a grey-green in the night, and then met her eyes with a wicked smile. "Guess."

AJ set her unfinished bagel down carefully on the blanket, and then crossed her arms. "I'm in absolutely no mood to play games with you Klaus. Besides, I don't have long to be here."

He raised an amused eyebrow. "And why is that? Have a hot date you have to rush back to? Poor boy will be waiting all night."

Rolling her eyes, AJ sat up straighter. "I'm serious. I don't have a lot of time. So whatever reason you had me come here for, say it or do it or _whatever_. Just get it over with."

"Get it over with?" he repeated, tasting the meaning of the words on his own tongue. "You say that like I mean to kill you."

"You acted like you meant to kill me last night."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her, a smug smile on his face. "You keep bringing up last night like you enjoyed the events before I left. You did enjoy them, didn't you? I remember the way your heart sped up, AJ. It's very clear to me what's going on with you, and yet so vague at the same time. We both know this: You are somehow, in some way, both the good and the bad Warrior. You share characteristics of both. And we both know you have feelings for me. So, pray tell me, why is it that you fight it so much?" He looked at her expectantly with a hint of genuine interest at the question.

AJ blanched. "I—I _told_ you Klaus, I don't _have_ feelings for you!" Her hands were starting to get shaky, so she set them firmly on the tops of her legs.

Klaus used his vampire-speed to appear in front of her. The smile was gone from his face, replaced by some sort of seriousness AJ didn't understand. "Stop lying to yourself, AJ. It'd be much easier for you if you did."

"_Why are you doing this?_" she cried out finally, trying to back away from him. In her sitting position, it was nearly impossible. And part of her felt a pull to him, like a magnetic connection she couldn't resist. There he was, sitting in front of her, his lips looking so perfectly kissable in the moonlight; his hair only a little unruly because of the slight curl to it, otherwise it was neat. She could imagine running her fingers through it. And then his eyes. His dark, enticing eyes. She felt lost in them, like she couldn't look away. But she had to.

He'd watched her try to get away from him, to put some sort of distance between them. The look on her face was a mix of confusion, anger, and pain. The internal struggle was clear in her eyes. He reached out and caressed the side of her face, his touch as light as a feather. But she could feel the heat it emanated on her skin and it broke down her barrier even more.

"Klaus_,"_ she spoke in a strained voice, almost a whisper, "Why?"

Klaus backed away, giving her some space. "I told you before," he said in as controlled of a tone he could manage, keeping his expression blank, "there's something about you."

AJ shook her head slowly with disbelief. "That doesn't answer anything. That doesn't _tell_ me why I keep seeing you—why you want me to be here!"

Klaus sighed. "Do you not see it as plain as I do? Why the sacrifice must go on?" he asked suddenly.

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "You want power. You want to be strong; invincible. But I don't think that's right, Klaus. I won't help you—only death will come of it. I can't take any more death," she said tiredly.

He regarded her now with sad eyes. "I apologize, then, for the losses you've had to bear," he said briskly, but she was surprised by the odd emotion in his voice.

She stared at him for a few moments. "Don't _you_ ever get tired of death?"

He looked surprised by the question, and then seemed to think about it. "Death," he spoke with an odd detachment, "to humans is inexorable. It's inevitable. But for a vampire, it is what we _are_. We are _the_ undead, are we not? So to answer your question: No. I do not tire of death. Not when it is what makes me."

AJ shook her head with protest. "Death doesn't make you. It _happened_ to you. I don't look at you now and think only that you're dead. That that's what you are, so it's who you are and what you force upon other people," she shook her head still, "No, I don't think that Klaus. I think you see things wrong."

Klaus regarded her with interest. "But when you do look at me, what is it that you see? If not death, then what?"

AJ's eyebrows furrowed together. "I see… that you once held humanity. And you still do—but it's buried so deep down that you've lost contact with it. I see that you are power hungry, a psychopath, and a murderer, and that is what you _chose_ to be. But you can choose to be anything. You aren't weighed down by things you may see to be fated choices. You can make your own." She finished and a silence passed over them. He stared at her with piercing eyes—not hostile, but completely unreadable. She wasn't sure if she'd said something to provoke him again, but she held her shaking hands down as she waited for him to speak. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and a pain rose in her chest, but she ignored them both. She knew it was Elijah and that he was furious. But she'd explain everything later.

Suddenly, he encroached back upon the space he'd given to her only a few minutes ago. Once again, he was face to face with her, looking at her with the same unreadable emotion she'd seen in his eyes the previous night. She stared back, her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"Then," he said finally, his eyes gazing intensely into hers, "I shall make a choice right now."

AJ gasped as she caught his meaning, giving him the perfect opportunity. He roughly intertwined his fingers into her hair, holding her so that she couldn't get away. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he firmly placed his lips onto hers. Almost involuntarily, AJ closed her eyes. His lips were warm upon hers, and he was like nothing she'd ever tasted before. It felt like there were sparks on his tongue as he slid it into her submissively parting lips. It was wonderful and new; her mouth melted into his, allowing him to be dominate. She could never have imagined kissing him would feel so—so _freeing._ So incredible and exciting. Her heart hammered inside her chest as he moved so that she was on her back, and he hovered over her with one arm on the ground for support. She could feel the heat from his body just centimeters away from her. Deepening the kiss with more force, he slid his fingers out of her hair and guided them down her neck, over her breasts, her stomach and back. She cried out into his mouth a little as he touched her sensitive areas—not expecting it in the least. It reminded her of Elijah.

An actual shock went through her as his named passed over her mind. _Elijah_. She gasped and pulled away from Klaus, and then began shoving at his chest when he refused to back off.

"Klaus!" she yelled, "Klaus, stop! Please stop!" She felt him go completely rigid over her, and then he backed off so that there was a foot of space between them.

He was looking at her with dark, lusting eyes. "Why?" he asked simply, his voice came out gruff.

AJ pushed herself to her feet, so quick that she gave herself a head-rush. Blood pumped to her head, making her dizzy as her vision went for a second. Klaus sped to his feet and put his hands on either side of her hips, steadying her. She flinched away from his touch, backing up and tripping over a large rock.

"AJ," he said firmly, catching her again. He made sure she was standing on her own before taking a step back. "AJ—"

"No!" she cried out, and tears stung her eyes. She hastily wiped them away as she turned around and ran for the bike. She grabbed it, got on, and sped off. When he didn't come after her, she was grateful. But it also made her cry harder.

**Last update for the day (probably). Hit me up with a review! It helps me further the story! (-:**


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

The tears streaked down AJ's face like rivers, never stopping their flow. She'd had to pull the bike off to the side of the road halfway home because that was how blurry her vision had gotten.

All she could think about was Elijah—her _love_, the one person she could trust with anything. She'd betrayed him. She'd cheated—been _unfaithful_. The words burned into her mind so that they were all she could see. She threw the bike down in bitter anger at herself, smashing the handlebars on the cement with the amount of force she threw it with.

Despair washed over her, and she dropped to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest as she sobbed. The one person she'd ever had that was so true and real and _right_ was the one person she'd been disloyal to. She pounded a fist on the pavement, crushing the bones in her hand. She didn't cry out in pain—she deserved to feel it. She deserved to feel horrible for what she did. _She kissed Klaus. _Klaus! How could she ever look at Elijah the same again? No—how could Elijah ever look at _her_ the same way again? She knew she had to tell him. She couldn't possibly lie—not about this.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket again, so she pulled it out with her uninjured hand. It was Elijah again. More tears fell as she let it go to voicemail once more. She knew he had to be out of his mind with worry. But she couldn't possibly have him pick her up—she wouldn't make him do that. She dialed the one person she knew that she thought wouldn't judge her—too harshly.

Damon arrived minutes later in his sleek black car, having heard the desperation in her voice. He looked at her sitting on the side of the road and merely said, "Get in." He could tell something had gone very, very wrong.

She was silent for a few minutes as they sat in the car, unmoving.

"I'm going to skip saying, 'Hey AJ, it's been a while since you've bothered to check in with anyone.' I'm assuming you haven't had… the best night," Damon said, sounding awkward and bothered for the first time. "Did he do that to you?" he asked quietly, gesturing towards her smashed hand. It was an ugly blue-black color, and just by looking at it one could tell it was damaged badly.

"Who?" she asked, not understanding the question in her state of mind. She couldn't get Elijah's face out of her head—he'd been worried for her when she was deceiving him, sneaking out behind his back. She didn't deserve him. Not at all.

"Elijah," Damon clarified with a growl. His clear green-blue eyes met AJ's expectantly but with withheld malice in them.

She shook her head miserably. "No. I did it to myself," she stated, looking at the broken hand. She tried moving it and held in a scream at the stabbing pain.

Damon regarded her with an incredulous look. "Why would you do that? What's happened?"

She looked down at her hands still, but then forced herself to meet his eyes. She deserved to be hated. She deserved pain. "I kissed Klaus." They were but three words, holding within them a wealth of pain and sorrow.

Damon's mouth dropped open—something she'd never seen him do. "You _what?_"

AJ choked back a sob. "He called me earlier," she began to explain, "and said that he wanted me to meet him. That I _had_ to go. Elijah said no, of course. He said no matter what, he wouldn't let me. So I tricked him into thinking I heard something outside, and then I snuck out of the house. I was afraid that if I _didn't _go, then Klaus would hurt someone! I was terrified! So I met up with him. And… he ended up kissing me. And I kissed him _back_," she said, disgusted at herself. "Damon," she started again before he could say anything, "What is _wrong_ with me?"

Damon stared at her in shock, not having any words to say. Finally, minutes later, he spoke. "AJ—I really don't know what to think. I," he stopped and squinted as he _tried _to think, "I think that Klaus tricked you into it. But when you say you… you kissed him _back, _do you mean…?"

AJ nodded gravely. "I have feelings for him. But—_I_ _love Elijah! _Damon, I screwed up so much! I—I don't know what I'm going to do!" She put her hands to her head and rubbed at her temples.

"Are you going to tell him?" Damon asked quietly.

AJ nodded her head vigorously. "I _have_ to. I can't _not_ tell him."

Damon nodded slightly. "You're right. What… what do you think he'll do?"

AJ shook her head slowly, with consternation. "I have no idea."

After a silent ride, Damon dropped her off at Elijah's estate. She made him stop at the beginning of the drive. He bid her luck before he left with complete seriousness, and said to call him if she needed anything at all. She was grateful that he didn't completely hate her for kissing the man that could kill the woman he loved. She didn't know why he didn't hate her, but she didn't question it. Not now.

She walked up the long drive slowly, feeling dreamlike. She wished it'd only been a dream—she wished she could take it all back. But she couldn't. She just couldn't.

When she arrived at the house, her eyes grew wide. There were police cars parked all over the place, their red and blue lights turning, casting an odd glow on the houses surroundings. Elijah couldn't have been that worried that he'd called the _police_, could he have?

There was only one way to find out. She walked up to the front door and hesitated before turning the knob. Would he even allow her in the house after he knew what she did? Scared butterflies rushed into her stomach, but she deserved them. She held her hand to her abdomen, trying to hide the fact that it was completely smashed up. If there were cops around, which there definitely was, she didn't want them seeing it.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside cautiously. She felt like a traitor to him, and she knew she was acting like it, too. But she walked inside anyway, headed towards the kitchen. Her eyes widened again when she came upon it.

There Elijah was, two hands on the counter, gripping it, as he looked out the window over the kitchen sink, his tense back to her. Through the window, AJ could see just how many cops were on the property—tons. Some had dogs with them, too. That confused her. Why were the cops outside? Then, sitting on one of the breakfast bar stools, was Sherriff Forbes.

AJ could only see her profile, but from what she stood, she could tell the Sherriff's mouth was set in a grim line, and her eyes looked weary and bleak. The Sherriff was looking at Elijah, as if she'd just been speaking to him.

Elijah turned around to face the Sheriff again, his mouth set in an equally grim line. He recoiled when he saw AJ. The Sheriff, following his eyes, looked shocked to see her.

"AJ," Elijah said in a tone she couldn't identify. It scared her more than she'd ever been scared before. He slowly walked over to her, looking her up and down. His eyes narrowed with anger when he saw her damaged hand, but he said nothing in front of the Sheriff. He continued towards her, his face showing signs of worry, disappointment, and a lot of relief. But she knew that relief wouldn't last for long.

"Sheriff," Elijah spoke without taking his eyes off AJ, "Would you mind giving us a few minutes alone? AJ and I need to talk about what's happened."

"Uhh.." Sheriff Forbes gave AJ a questionable look. Obviously the Sherriff didn't know of her and Elijah's relationship. AJ nodded at her reassuringly. "Okay," Mrs. Forbes said, standing up. "Don't be too long though. Now that she's here, we're going to have to take a statement."

Elijah nodded. "Of course."

He waited until he heard the Sheriff exit the house through the front door, and then rounded on AJ, his face red with anger. "AJ, I swear. This is the last time you do this. _You_ _snuck out to see him?" _Rage didn't even describe the tone in Elijah's voice. It was much, much worse.

"Elijah," AJ began, her voice cracking, "I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry. I screwed up! I screwed everything up!" The tears stung her eyes, falling relentlessly down her face again.

Elijah's rage turned to worry in less than a second—the mere reality of it unfathomable to AJ. He hurried towards her, to hold her, but she backed away from him. "AJ? AJ what's wrong? Love, what happened?" he asked, full of concern now. The anger was forgotten as soon as he saw her scared tears. "Did he do that to you?" he gestured towards her hand. Anger flared in him, directed at Klaus. He would rip his brother's throat out.

AJ sobbed and shook her head. "No—no he didn't do this, Elijah… I did it," she said reluctantly. She knew there was no going back after this. There hadn't been any going back once Klaus's lips touched hers.

"What?" Elijah looked at her with shock, "Why? Why would you do that to yourself?"

AJ shook her head and buried her face in her good hand. At this reaction, Elijah grew grim. He knew something wasn't right. It was all over her face.

"AJ," he said softly, "Tell me."

She shook her head again, ashamed of herself. "Elijah, I'm so sorry! I'm terribly sorry! You'll hate me! You have every right to hate me!" She couldn't help the flow of words that came out of her mouth; they were out before she could think to stop them.

Elijah tried approaching her again, but she still stepped back. "No," she said, "No, you don't want to. Trust me, you don't want to."

"AJ, tell me what's happened," he demanded, but he tried not to be too harsh. He could see that the self-loathing was back, after weeks of it being gone, but he didn't know why. "I can't understand what's going on if you don't tell me," he now said desperately.

She cried harder, but forced herself to suck it up. Minutes later, when she had the tears under better control, she met his eyes. And that was all it took for him to understand completely.

Elijah swore under his breath, slamming a fist into the counter. It broke on impact, making a loud cracking noise. He walked to the window, pinching the bridge of his nose. The veins in his hand protruded outward at the amount of force he was using. He exhaled loudly, then breathed in, trying to remain calm.

AJ said nothing. She cowered in the corner of the room, her arms crossed over her defensively. She'd never been more afraid in her life. The anticipation—the silence in the room—was slowly killing her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out, but she knew she had to. It was her fault, after all.

"Tell me," Elijah said quietly, but his voice held strong anger. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened." He turned to face her, his eyes ablaze with fire.

She nodded timidly. Her hands began to shake, making the broken one hurt even more. "I lied to you Elijah," she blurted as she felt the words come quickly, "I'm _so_ sorry. I never heard anything outside—I just wanted to make sure I got to the cemetery. I was scared! I thought someone would get hurt because of me! I—I never expected… I never thought he'd—or I'd—"she stopped, catching her breath. "Elijah, he kissed me. I'd been telling him about choices, how he could make his _own_, not follow things he thought were supposed to happen—and he kissed me." Her eyes wanted to cast to the ground, but she forced them to meet Elijah's. "And I kissed him back," she said, pained.

Elijah pinched his eyes shut, clenched his hand into a fist, and hit a cupboard next. It broke into a hundred pieces, falling to the kitchen floor.

"Elijah, oh God, _Elijah_," she cried, holding a hand to her breaking heart, "I'm so sorry. I want to take it all back—I want to have never left the house. But I did—and I'm _so sorry_." Her knees felt wobbly and weak; she held onto the breakfast bar for support. "You have _every_ right to hate me. You really do."

Elijah's chest was heaving up in down as he still tried to calm himself. He held onto the counter behind him with an intense grip. The rage inside his chest refused to quell. He wanted to kill Klaus. He wanted to rip him to shreds.

AJ watched in pain, emotionally, as Elijah tried to get his bearings. When he finally seemed like he was about to speak, she prepared herself for the absolute worse.

"AJ," Elijah said, enunciating in the way he did when he was mad enough, "I don't know what to say to you. No—I do. You told me before that _that_ part of you—the darker part—had…" he struggled to say the words, "feelings for Klaus. You _told_ me. You were honest. Just like you're being now. And I know Klaus—like you said earlier. I know him better than anyone. So I know how he can be. I have one question." Elijah asked, staring intensely into her eyes, the same way Klaus had moments before he'd kissed her, only Elijah's eyes held fury. "Do you love him?"

AJ stared at him, her mouth hanging open. She blinked several times, replaying the question in her head. Did she love Klaus? "Elijah," she said as soon as she found her voice, "No! Of course not!"

Elijah nodded, exhaling again as he held in his rage. "Then I have one more question. Did he force himself on you?" he asked through clenched teeth.

She was stunned again. But she thought about it. _Klaus_ had kissed _her_—he was the one who commenced the entire thing. But she had kissed him back. Willingly. "I'm not sure how to answer that," she said with disappointment.

"Had you planned to kiss him?" Elijah reworded the question with the slim amount of patience he had.

AJ shook her head vigorously. "No! I thought… well I honestly thought he was going to give me an ultimatum, Elijah. To either help him, or die. I had absolutely _no_ intention of—of _that_!" she said truthfully, feeling disgusted with herself once more. She should have known it would happen—she should have _known_. But the logical side of her asked: how? Klaus was as predictable as weather in Michigan.

Elijah looked at her grimly. "You knew you could have died?" He shut his eyes, shaking his head. "AJ, how can you not see that that upsets me the most? How?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. She'd never been surprised so many times in less than fifteen minutes. "Elijah—I was _unfaithful_ to you," she said the word as if it was the dirtiest thing she knew. "You should hate me for it. You should kick me out! Yell at me! Scream!"

Elijah shook his head, and then glanced outside. "I'm afraid we have to put this conversation aside until later. We have more… pressing matters outside."

AJ just stared, her mouth slightly open. Outside? Who _cared_ about what was happening outside? She wanted to be punished—she _needed _to be. She knew she deserved it. She flexed her hurt hand again, feeling the pain.

"Stop that!" Elijah demanded, using his vampire speed to appear in front of her. He grabbed her wrist lightly and examined her hand. "Stop hurting yourself AJ! Do you really think that's what I want?" he asked incredulously.

"Why _wouldn't_ you want that? I don't understand Elijah—why aren't you screaming at me? Why aren't you telling me how much I've hurt you? Why aren't you punishing me like I deserve to be punished?" she questioned, ranting almost.

"Just stop," Elijah said firmly, in a quiet voice. It made her freeze completely. "Just stop, okay? AJ, I _understand_ what happened. I understand it."

AJ narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What is there to understand other than the fact I _kissed_ _Klaus?_ I _cheated_ on you!"

"No," Elijah shook his head with conviction, "No, AJ. I knew this could happen. I knew it very well. And it was because of Klaus's clever tricks that you kissed him. He knows that you are both good and bad—he knows how to appeal to the darker side. AJ, I _understand_. I'm angry, yes, _but I understand," _he stressed the words, trying to get through to her.

AJ looked at him as if he turned into a completely different person. "How?" she asked simply.

"Because of _you_," he said, and although he wasn't smiling, she could hear fondness in his voice. "I've learned things from you—I've gotten my humanity put back together _because of you_. I know you have this darker side, AJ. I know how much it bothers the better part of you," he held on to her good hand and squeezed it lightly, "The part of you that's here with me. The way you allowed Lucas to speak earlier today because you _knew_ there was some good in him, the way you accepted his apology after all the things he did to you—_that's_ how I've learned from you. I don't even think that _you_ made a mistake, AJ. I think that Klaus has found the way to mess with you, and he's using it to every advantage he can. So, yes, I am angry. But I won't be forever."

AJ stared at him, speechless. How could he possibly say those things after what she did? How could he possibly act as if it were okay? "But—"she began to protest, but he stopped her.

"We can return to this conversation later," he said, holding a finger to her lips. She could see the anger he was still containing inside his eyes, but he spoke lightly. "I have to tell you what happened while you were gone."

AJ's eyebrows scrunched together. She finally looked out at the police canvassing the property and was curious about what was going on. She'd barely given them a second thought earlier. "What happened?" she asked as she met Elijah's eyes again, fear evident in her voice.

"When you had said you'd heard something earlier," Elijah began, looking grim, "I saw some movement out on the trails. That's why it took me so long to figure out you weren't here," he said with a hint of disappointment, but continued anyway, "I went out to see who was there, and I found the Sherriff. She pointed her gun at me, and I thought she figured out what I was. Although _we_ know wooden bullets wouldn't work on Originals, _she_ wouldn't know that. I was about to disarm her when… I saw the body."

"The _body?_" AJ asked incredulously. "What _body?_ Where? Who was it?" Suddenly, her stomach knotted up even more.

Elijah sighed and ushered her to the living room. He had her sit on the couch and sat beside her, holding her uninjured hand. He continued from where he'd left off. "At first, Sheriff Forbes thought _I_ killed him. But then she saw the genuine shock on my face, and lowered the gun. She said she'd gotten an anonymous tip a few hours ago that she needed to look on our property for a body, and that she didn't tell me first because she thought I would hurry to hide it or tell her she needed a warrant."

AJ searched Elijah's eyes wildly. "Elijah," she said slowly, knowing something was very wrong. Elijah kept saying _he_. "What body? Who was it?"

Elijah looked down at their hands, and then sadly met her eyes. "AJ, I'm so sorry. You went to all that trouble protecting him… You knew he'd changed… AJ," he said reluctantly as her head began to spin, putting the pieces together, and "It was Lucas. They found Lucas."

AJ, overwhelmed by all the emotions going through her, watched as the world spun around. She wasn't even aware she was on the brink of fainting until her vision went out, and her body slacked in Elijah's arms.

**Review! Tell me what you think! Always feel free to ask questions if you have them!(-:**


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N: Shorter chapter, but they'll be longer again. I appreciate all the reviews I've gotten! They really do help me write more. (-:**

**Chapter Fifty-Seven**

When AJ came to, her head was fuzzy and the world was still tilting. She felt someone brushing her hair softly—a feeling she never thought she'd be graced with again. They were still on the couch, but AJ was now resting in Elijah's lap as he held her to his chest in his arms.

"AJ," Elijah said quietly when he saw her eyelids flutter open. "AJ, I'm so sorry."

The world ceased to tilt when she heard his voice, and her senses came back quickly. She rubbed at her head as she sat up. Then she saw the concern on his face and the way he was holding her. Swiftly, she stood, knowing she was completely unworthy of any comfort he was offering her. She swayed a little on her feet, but her balance came easily. Folding her arms across her chest, because she didn't know what else to do with them, she looked at Elijah, holding back her tears.

"Where did they find him?" Her voice came out small and thin to even her own ears.

Elijah stood, but kept his distance. "AJ, you don't need to know the details. It'll only make you feel worse. And you need to let me heal your hand"

AJ shook her head. "I couldn't care less about my hand. But I _do_ need to know," she said desperately, "Where did they find him, Elijah?"

He stared at her blankly in silence before she saw the sides of his mouth pull down in a frown. "On the trail to the waterfall," he said simply. But he approached her slowly, untangling her arms from their position with a gentled touch. Her hand needed to be healed quickly.

AJ glanced out the kitchen window again to see the amount of police scouring the area for more evidence. Lights had been set up—it truly looked like one of those crime scenes on TV. She wanted to see him. She _needed_ to see him. She looked back to Elijah, who'd bitten into his wrist.

"Drink," he said, holding his wrist out to her. Hesitantly, she obeyed. Putting her lips on his skin didn't have the usual affect on her—there was no spark, no pounding heart, no craving for more. She was too broken up about Lucas to feel anything but sadness. As soon as her hand fully healed, she was ready.

Dashing towards the front door, she skidded to a stop when she saw Elijah already there, blocking her way.

"No," he said, "AJ you aren't going to torture yourself over this. I'm going to find out what happened, I _promise_ you that, but you can't make yourself feel worse. I know how you work—"

"Elijah _please_," she broke in, but he cut her off.

"_No._ I'm not letting you go back to your self-loathing ways—not again. You've just gotten past them; I'm not letting them come back." He crossed his arms over his chest, standing with a posture of imperviousness.

"Elijah," AJ's voice cracked, "I need to see him. I just need to see him, okay?"

Elijah said nothing, but she knew him well enough. He held his stance for several minutes, not letting her through. But her pleading eyes won out in the end as she watched his resolve crumble. He reluctantly stepped aside.

As AJ went to reach for the handle, he stopped her.

"You have to promise me something," he said, his gaze boring into hers, "If you want to see him, you have to promise me something, AJ."

"Okay," she said with a wary nod.

Elijah seemed more intimidating than ever—his usually sweet chocolate eyes were dark and hard; his demeanor was tense and unhappy; his mouth was set in a grim line.

"You will tell me _exactly_ what happened with Klaus, and anything that happens with him in the future, AJ. I'm not naïve to think that nothing will—he has his ways, and you have yours. So promise me." Although his voice came out composed and steady, AJ could hear the hidden sadness and anger underneath.

AJ nodded slowly. "I promise, Elijah. I—I never meant for it to happen. Not ever. And I don't want to see him again—I _really_ don't want to Elijah."

His face tightened. "This side of you doesn't," he said quietly, "But the other side does."

AJ said nothing. She turned back to the door, her head down with shame, and pushed it open.

Voices. There was a dissonance of voices outside, from all the police men and women speaking to one another about 'the body'. AJ immediately wanted to shout that he had a _name_, that he had a _life_, but she didn't. She clenched her hands into fists and walked down the few steps to the ground, and then made her way out to the edges of the forest. She knew Elijah was behind her—she could always just sense him like that—but she kept her shoulders back and her head up. To do this, she needed to be strong. But she needed to _see_.

Reaching the edge of the forest, she felt bile rise into her throat at the sight of a sheet covering a figure on the ground. Lucas. His body had been sprawled in the middle of the trail—he was meant to be found, not hidden. The Sheriff was talking to a man wearing a shirt labeled CORONER. Even the sight of the man meant to pronounce Lucas officially dead made the ground under AJ's feet rock.

Elijah quickly held on to her elbow, keeping her steady. He'd known this wouldn't be easy for her—not one bit. Death was the day after day occurrence that was weighing down her spirits, turning her into someone he was starting to not recognize. But he wouldn't let that happen. He'd make sure she was okay.

"Sheriff Forbes," AJ's voice quivered, "Can I see him? Can I see Lucas?"

The Sheriff turned to AJ, pity clear on her face. "AJ—I don't know if that's such a great idea. From what Elijah said, you knew him?"

AJ nodded sadly. "Yes. I knew him. Please, can I see him?"

Sheriff Forbes had never heard AJ say _please_ so desperately before. She thought of her own daughter, of what Caroline would be like if one of her old friends died, and her pity for AJ increased tenfold. As much as she didn't want AJ to see the boy, she nodded with a sigh.

"AJ, if you're absolutely sure."

AJ nodded, "I am. I need to see him."

The Sheriff said something to the coroner, and then gestured for AJ to follow her closer to his body. There was a bright light set up, shining down over the blue-colored sheet, making it stand out in the dark night. AJ's boots crunched on the mulched trail, but aside from that, there wasn't any noise. Birds, crickets, and the nocturnal animals whose sound usually filled the night were all silent, as if they knew what'd happened. The coroner, with a surreptitious glance of pity at AJ, kneeled down and pulled back the sheet from the top.

AJ gasped when she saw his face. Lucas's usually bright, green eyes were wide open, but there was a cloudy film over them that almost looked unreal. His face was dirty, streaked with mud in several places and the skin was unearthly white. His hair was a heap of tangles. His face was frozen in a look of horror—he'd _seen_ who'd done this to him. And then AJ saw what she'd expected, but had hoped and prayed she wouldn't see. There were two holes in his neck, spaced apart where he'd been bitten and drained of blood. She felt sick.

Elijah reached out and held AJ's hand, squeezing it for what little amount of comfort he could provide her with. He'd seen the bite marks immediately, and his head was swimming with thoughts.

AJ turned away, her eyes closed as silent tears streaked down her face. She couldn't get Lucas's face out of her head—going from the image of him standing at the doorway the previous day to the dead, lifeless Lucas lying on the ground, neglected and alone. How could she have not realized that someone had actually been here when she'd lied to Elijah? Why hadn't she checked in with Lucas, to make sure he made it out of town safely? The self-loathing Elijah spoke about minutes ago was surfacing, and AJ just wanted to lash out at herself. She should have known. She should have. But the one thing she couldn't imagine was: _who_ killed him? A vampire, obviously, but which? And for what reason?

Sheriff Forbes hated to break the heartrending silence, but she knew she had to. "AJ…" she said quietly, "I do need to ask you some questions. I'm sorry, but I don't think they can wait for tomorrow. Not if we want to catch who did this right away."

AJ nodded, her eyes cast down at her boots as more tears ran down her face, dripping off her chin. "I understand."

The Sheriff stepped away from Lucas's recovered body, gesturing for AJ to move with her. They walked a few paces away, with Elijah holding on to AJ the entire time. She was grateful him, no matter how unworthy she felt. The Sheriff kept giving their intertwined hands wary glances, but so far said nothing.

"AJ," Sheriff Forbes began hesitantly as she took out a pad of paper and a pen from the pocket on her uniform, "How did you know Lucas?"

Elijah pulled AJ close, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"He was my ex," she said, her voice dead-sounding. She couldn't bear to let any emotions in—not now.

The Sheriff nodded as she began writing. "What was he doing in town? His license says he's from Michigan…"

AJ pinched her eyes shut. "He was here to see me."

However vague the answer was, Sheriff Forbes didn't prod further. Not yet, anyway. "How long have you known him?"

"My entire life," AJ whispered.

It was only then that all the memories of Lucas flooded into her mind. She'd known him since they were just kids—he'd always been older, a little more mature. She'd been the little girl that lived a couple houses down, friends of the family. And over time, they'd bonded. They became friends. She remembered him during his awkward, goofy stages—when his voice broke, when his baby fat went away, when he started looking more handsome to her. When she first told him how she'd felt about him—not in the _friend_ way, but in the romantic way—behind the bleachers during a huge football game. His bright green eyes had looked even brighter that night, happier. And then she remembered when his father died. When the light was doused from his eyes and his anger was raging. All the times she'd had to lie to her friends about the bruises she'd get or just why she ended up in the hospital that week. And then there was the Lucas who came all the way to Mystic Falls just to show her that he'd truly changed. That he was sorry for all the things he'd done. Her memories of Lucas were both dear and terrible at the same time.

"Sheriff," AJ barely heard Elijah speak, "I don't think she can do this much more. Can we return to this tomorrow?"

The Sheriff sighed sadly. "There's just one more thing, I'm afraid." She pulled a plastic baggie out of her back pocket. AJ could see through her blurry eyes that it had EVIDENCE written in red across it. She didn't register the significance of it.

"AJ," Sheriff Forbes said gently, "I just need you to look at this for me. This was found with… with Lucas's body. We don't know if either he'd already had it on him, or if someone left it there. Does this mean anything to you?"

Beside her, holding her close, AJ felt Elijah tense. Every part of him was rock hard—something was wrong. She wiped away the moisture in her eyes as best as she could and pushed her hair behind her ears. Then she leaned in to look at what the Sheriff was holding up.

She had to refrain from gasping out loud. She felt nauseated as the ground below her feet rattled and bucked. Her knees were giving out and she had to clutch at Elijah's arm to stay up, even as her muscles weakened and slacked. Her heart beat inhumanly fast in her throat. If she'd thought the night couldn't get any worse, she'd definitely thought wrong.

In the evidence bag was a single piece of white paper. The stark contrasting color was blood-red, elegantly looped in beautiful handwriting.

'_The inexorable night is coming upon us, my dear. I do hope you think twice about whose arm you're on, and why. You're clever enough to understand what it would mean should my brother stand in the way, now that I know. And do tell me: Is love as simple as the word, itself, or is it as complicated as understanding the workings of the universe? Some things are meant to happen, no matter how hard you fight against it. It's only a matter of time, although it does seem _his_ time was up. My dearest apologies—puppets only have their use for so long. –K'_

He'd even thought to add a little winking smiley face.

**A/N: So I've been considering this risky idea for a long time, and finally decided to use it. I love what I can twist it into. What do you think? Let me know!(-:**


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. This chapter kind of jumps around a bit, but it has it's reasons. Thank you to all those who've been reviewing, it's really appreciated!(-:**

**Chapter Fifty-Eight**

The florescent lights set up around the dark property seemed to outline everything with such a harsh, bleak clarity. Every blade in the dark moss green grass stood out singular to one another. The carved lines on the bark of trees were shadowed and the leaves were shiny platinum grey-green. Every age-line on the Sheriff's face was visible, her eyes blue and bright as they searched AJ's visage. The paper she held—the simple, white sheet of paper with the blood-red writing—was starkly outlined in black and had a sort of glow to it. The writing popped out as it glinted in the bright lights, seemingly taunting.

AJ stared at it, her breath unintentionally held tight in her chest, as her mouth gaped open and her eyes were wide and unblinking. Any words that had previously been on her lips escaped her completely as her mind went numb as well as the feeling throughout her body. She wasn't aware of her expression, nor the fact that the Sheriff was growing more alarmed by the seconds that ticked by as AJ stared at the paper. Elijah stood next to AJ, frozen with utter shock, until he moved stiffly, however unwilling he was to even push away his reeling thoughts for a moment.

His hand, still intertwined with AJ's, squeezed hers softly, bringing her back to her senses as well. Her shoulders were tense as she tried to gather her bearings. "Sheriff," he spoke tersely, however only AJ could hear the short withheld emotion in his voice, "I really do think that I should return AJ to the house. She's had a very long night, and if you wouldn't mind, we can continue this tomorrow at a more convenient time."

The Sheriff's eyes pierced Elijah's intently. "Actually, I do mind," she said, as she handed the note off to an evidence collector and looked back at AJ. AJ had clamped her mouth shut and was trying to focus solely on Elijah, and not her pounding heart as it hammered away at her ribs. She could see the blackness on the edge of her vision, and she knew it wasn't from the darkness outside. Fainting was something she rarely did, but she feared she might at any moment.

"I asked if the note would mean anything to AJ—I sure didn't understand the meaning of it. Judging by her reaction, I think it does mean something to her," the Sheriff's eyes flicked between AJ and Elijah, and she didn't speak directly to Caroline's good friend because she could see she was barely listening. "Maybe it was even meant for her."

Elijah kept composed. He held an arm around AJ's waist to keep her swaying legs from giving out from under her. He knew she needed to sit—to be somewhere where there wasn't a covered body, a threatening note, and pushy cops. A minute or two more, and then he would get her somewhere safe. "Sheriff, will you look at her? She just found out that an old friend was killed—do you really think that she's in _any_ right mind to be questioned right now? And what other reaction would you expect her to have to the note? I ask that you let me take her back inside, and you may continue with your questions another time tomorrow."

Sheriff Forbes looked from AJ to Elijah, her eyes narrowed. But when she saw the girl struggle to even stand, she sighed in acquiesce. "All right. I'd like for you to bring her by the station sometime tomorrow then. And I'd like to speak to you as well, Elijah." She frowned and gave a glance at Elijah, and then at his hand holding tightly on to AJ's. Then she turned and regarded AJ, catching the girl's eyes for the first time in several minutes. "I am sorry for your loss."

Elijah pulled AJ away from the Sheriff and crime scene as swiftly as he could without making things worse for her. She stumbled as they quickly walked back to the house, but he caught her every time. He knew the Sheriff was suspicious of them, as she was saying so to a detective at that exact moment, so he tried not to put his hands on AJ too much. When they were finally out of sight of the police, he bent and picked her up and carried her quickly into the house.

He didn't bother stopping in the living room. Going straight to the hallway and up the stairs, he finally came at a stop in his own room as he gently settled AJ down on the bed before hurrying to close the curtains that would block the outside world. He returned to her just as quickly, searching her face worriedly.

"AJ," he said quietly, "AJ look at me." He brushed the side of her face as she turned slowly, her hazel eyes meeting his reluctantly. They held unshed tears within, making her eyes look more green than hazel. He cupped her face, soothingly running his fingers over her soft skin. "AJ—"

"He knows, Elijah," she said, her voice hoarse due to her swollen throat from trying not to cry. "_Klaus_ _knows_. About you and me. About this place." She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes, trying to get the tears to fade away.

"Yes," Elijah said softly, holding in all the anger he felt for his brother, "He does know. But everything's fine, everything's—"

AJ shook her head fiercely and pulled out of Elijah's touch—something she'd never thought she'd do, especially after all the events of the night. "Everything's _not_ fine! Lucas is dead! He—he wasn't even really _Lucas_ whenever I saw him!" She buried her face in her hands, breathing raggedly. "I should have known he'd killed someone. He—he'd looked at me _sadly_—he said he was sorry for all the losses I had to bear. I should have known."

"AJ," he spoke firmly, "You could not have known. And you can't blame yourself for this, do you understand me? What happened to Lucas is tragic—it's terrible and I'm sorry you have to go through this—but it's not your fault. It's Klaus's."

"_And Klaus knows_," she said loudly, with frustration and fear, when she really just wanted to scream it.

Elijah grabbed the hands that were hiding her face and gently pulled them away, holding them in his own. "I will take care of you, AJ. Nothing will happen to you—I won't allow it. I know that the Salvatore brothers put their home in Elena's name, and I think I will do the same with you. I should have done it already, but I never saw the threat. I will be there for you, at _all_ times, I will—"

AJ stopped him when she looked up, her expression a mixture of pain and anger. "And what about _you_? Haven't you thought about that for one second? The note wasn't threatening me—it said 'You're clever enough to understand what it would mean should my brother stand in the way,'" she recited bitterly. Everything that'd been on the note was seared into her mind. "I'm not worried about me—he'll kill _you. _ He'll take _you_ away from _me_, Elijah—I won't be able to bear that! If something happens to you, it'll be my fault! And what can _I_ do to protect _you?_" She stopped short, freezing in place as she sucked in a gasp of air, realizing that she already had an answer to that. She could give herself up to Klaus. If she did—Elijah wouldn't be harmed, he'd be okay—

"No," Elijah growled, standing and crossing his arms to keep from breaking something, _anything_, out of the anger that built up because Klaus was making her feel this way. He could see the raw desperation in her eyes. "No, AJ. You don't need to worry about me. I am an Original—I can handle Klaus on my own. You will _not_ put yourself in harm's way because you think it's protecting me, do you understand that? I know what you're thinking—that telling Klaus you'll be his, you'll be on his side for the sacrifice is the only thing you can do to keep me out of this. But you need to realize that it's not your responsibility to watch for my wellbeing. Not at all." He stood over her, putting a finger under her chin as he gazed at her intently. "No matter what's happened, I love you. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

Silence hung between them as he continued to stare at her. The fact that he could still say he loved her made her feel a number of different things. Relief, happiness, hope. But she also felt disgusted at herself for even risking losing him. As she stared back at him, her eyes impassive and guarded, she knew that she would never risk it again. If he was killed because of her, she'd die of a broken heart. She was sure of it. But she wouldn't let anything happen to him. She'd think of something. Hopefully the plan would end with her still being in his arms. But she knew that'd have to be a miracle.

O O O

After a sleepless night, AJ sat at the breakfast bar, slowly eating cereal. She didn't even taste it—she just knew she had to eat something, and so she did. She knew there were dark circles under her eyes—it seemed that even being held in Elijah's arms hadn't been enough to quell her fears of Klaus and his stupid note. She wasn't looking forward to the day ahead of her, not one bit. The running shower was barely audible in the kitchen, but she knew Elijah was upstairs, getting ready for a long day. He was having the house put in her name today, and he had to take her back to the station so that the Sheriff could question her.

Glumly, she looked out the kitchen window. Although there wasn't nearly as many police around as last night, a few could still be spotted here and there, working on collecting the rest of the evidence they could find. The big florescent lights had been removed sometime earlier that morning, and the coroner had taken Lucas's body away last night. The thought sent shivers down AJ's spine—she could see Lucas's too-pale, horror stricken face in her mind as he lay dead and dirty on the mulch trail.

The ring of the doorbell made her flinch as it numbed her of all thoughts. She sat frozen for a minute, her heart hammering inside her chest. Was it Klaus already? Had he come to taunt her for Lucas's death? To take her away again? To make her pay for leaving him the way she had? Or did he intend to hurt Elijah? She stood stiffly, automatically, at that thought and turned in the direction of the door.

She flinched again when she saw that Elijah was already there, looking at her as he casted sidelong glances at the door. He'd obviously come straight from the shower—a towel was wrapped around his waist and his chest was misted with steam. His hair was wet and pushed back, and even in the circumstances AJ could feel a pull towards him. She tried to avoid looking at his chiseled chest and toned arms as she walked to him. It was a substantial effort.

When she reached to grab the doorknob, he stopped her with a stern look. Understanding, she took several hesitant steps back and let him get it.

As the door swung open, she didn't think her heart could beat any faster.

Or slow down just as quickly.

"Jeremy?" she asked as she blinked at him with confusion.

Jeremy stood outside the door meekly, in a dark sweatshirt and light wash jeans, as he tried to keep his eyes away from Elijah. His dark hair was its typical style, but his eyes held a sort of franticness within them. Behind him, AJ could see Elena's car. But no one else was in it.

"What's wrong?" she asked, masking the fear she felt by keeping her voice steady. Elijah crossed his arms next to her, his gaze boring into Jeremy, as if he could see the reason why he was here by doing so. He didn't seem the least bit bothered that he was just wearing a towel.

Jeremy's mouth pressed together, and then he licked his lips nervously. "AJ… I'm really sorry," he began, stumbling over his words, " I know you had a rough night last night—what happened to Lucas was on the news this morning—and I think that's why I had to come get you. Elena's stalling as much as she can, but she sent me to warn you. She would've texted you, it's just Damon kind of accidently broke her phone when he found out… and well, she couldn't exactly leave—"

"Jeremy," AJ said as patiently as she could, although she was getting more and more distressed by the second, "Why is Elena stalling? What's going on? Has… something else happened?"

Jeremy played with his fingers nervously, glancing at the ground before meeting AJ's eyes again. He wasn't certain how she would take the information, especially after what she'd had to find out last night. "It's just—we didn't realize, but—"

"Just say it," Elijah said firmly. AJ shot him a reproachful look, even as her heart began to race all over again. It was obvious that whatever happened was making Jeremy just as nervous.

"You parents," Jeremy blurted out, cringing as he did, "It's your parents, AJ."

AJ froze completely, her mind slowly putting together what he said. Her hands were getting clammy and she felt panicky butterflies surge through her stomach. "What about my parents?" she asked slowly.

"Have they been injured? Has Klaus—" Elijah stopped when Jeremy shook his head vigorously.

"No, no, they haven't been injured," he said, "They're just kind of… here."

AJ's eyes widened into saucers as she looked at him, her legs going numb with shock. "They're _here?"_ she nearly shouted.

Elijah was looking from Jeremy to AJ, his expression confused. Jeremy looked meekly at the ground and nodded. "They went to the boarding house first, and then when you weren't there, they came to our house. They want to know why you weren't at the boarding house—they came because they heard about what happened to Lucas and wanted to see you and how you're doing—and well… we couldn't exactly say why…" he trailed off, glancing at Elijah. "Elena's been stalling them. She's been talking about school—anything to keep them occupied—and she sent me to get you."

AJ said absolutely nothing. She wasn't seeing Jeremy standing in front of her—she was seeing her parents faces the last time she saw them. Angry, betrayed, heartbroken. That's the way they'd looked at her last. That's the way she'd left things when she left Michigan. Finally her eyes refocused on Jeremy, and then turned to Elijah. She stared at him, her mind whirling.

"Oh my God," she said slowly, looking at towel-clad Elijah, "They are going to _kill_ me."

O O O

AJ and Elijah sat silently in the car. AJ was motionless, staring out the front window with unfocused eyes. Elijah was turned and looking at her worriedly, trying to get her attention. But she hardly noticed he was there. Instead of seeing Elena's street in front of them, as they were pulled off to the curb, she saw the many different scenarios in which her parents would kill her after finding out about her relationship with Elijah—who looked so obviously much older than she did in human years. In _true_ time… she wouldn't let her mind wander there.. Or maybe not even because of Elijah. Maybe they'd be just as upset as they had been the day she left, once they saw her. A brief image of her mother wielding a club and hitting her over and over with it passed over her mind. She told herself that the only way her mother could get her hands on a club was to steal one from a museum. A bat was more like it. Maybe a broom. It wasn't that her parents had ever been abusive—heavens no!—it was that she could have possibly made them mad enough that they'd want to hit her, and she'd accept it as punishment for the way she'd left them, years ago. She hadn't even spoken to them since…

"Darling," Elijah spoke smoothly, reaching out to gently tilt AJ's chin so that she'd face him finally. It'd been at least ten minutes they'd been sitting in the car, and she hadn't said a word, or even moved.

Elijah was now fully dressed, his hair styled in its usual sophisticated way. AJ had made him wear something other than a suit—she didn't need her parents thinking he was _too_ sophisticated (which was probably going to be a long shot, anyway). He was wearing a light sweater and dark jeans. She'd found it very suitable. But the AJ that'd chosen his clothes and the AJ that was sitting beside him in the car were two very different people. Her eyes finally rested on him and focused in. She blinked several times.

"Yes?"

Elijah searched her golden-flecked hazel eyes, raising an eyebrow as he did. "Are we going in anytime soon?"

She pouted at him, sticking out her bottom lip ever so slightly. "I'm working up to it."

Elijah smiled ruefully at her, something she'd never once seen him do. "You don't want your parents to meet me, do you?"

"It's not that," she protested, "It's just… I don't want _you_ to meet my parents. The things they could say—"she gasped quietly as she remembered the time she'd brought home a boy from school. They'd planned to go see a movie later, but once AJ's parents finished the typical embarrassing chat with him, AJ had been too horrified to even consider it. Rubbing at a temple, she shook the thought away.

"Are you afraid I'll find something out about you that you haven't yet told me?" Elijah grinned now, a breathtaking sight. "I'd be very interested in that. I do hope your parents are the type to talk on and on about their children." AJ glared at him. "You can't blame me," he shrugged, "You don't rather like to share very much about yourself. Must I remind you of the lock-pick set? Tell me, love, do you realize having possession of one is a felony?"

AJ rolled her eyes and groaned, sinking back into the seat. "They're going to kill me, Elijah."

He regarded her seriously. "I truly hope not. I wouldn't want to have to harm your parents just to keep you safe. But I'd do it, if I had to."

AJ huffed and gave him an incredulous look. "You do know that _you're_ the reason why they're going to kill me? Well, one of them, anyway."

"There are others?"

She looked back out the front window sullenly, her lips pulled into a frown. "Many."

"I see," he said, watching her intently. He knew she hadn't really told him all the reasons she'd left her home and her parents in Michigan, and the fact that she was so reluctant to see them made it obvious that it wasn't for any good reason. But it couldn't be all bad. Not if they were worried about her that they traveled all the way down to Mystic Falls instead of just making a phone call. "The way I see it, the sooner you go in and get it over with, the better it goes for you."

With a sigh, she nodded. "You're probably right."

A moment later, Elijah was at her door, holding out a hand for her to take as she stepped out. She took it and immediately felt the comfort of his warmth, his skin. With Elijah by her side, she could get through this. She knew it.

They walked up to the front door of Elena's home, hand in hand, and stopped just short of it. AJ paused and took a deep breath. Elijah wasn't sure if it was right to feel at least slightly amused—she looked like she was preparing for battle when she was really just about to face her parents.

AJ held up a shaky hand and knocked on the door briskly. Two seconds later, Jenna answered, a huge smile planted on her face.

"There she is!" Jenna exclaimed and opened up the door even wider. Her face scrunched in confusion as she took in AJ and Elijah's intertwined fingers, but she made no comment. Although that didn't stop her from shooting AJ a questionable look. "You're parents are in the living room," she said, and although her smile was back, it wasn't nearly to the magnitude it'd been at before.

AJ felt nauseated. If Jenna could be a little bothered by her and Elijah, she couldn't even imagine her parents take on it. And the fact that they were so close in proximity—she just needed to take two steps in and three to the right, and she'd see them—made her feel worse. Elijah squeezed her hand reassuringly.

AJ managed to smile at Jenna. "We'll be right in. I just—I need a moment."

Jenna nodded, glanced between the couple at the door, and then headed into the living room, leaving the door open. AJ turned to Elijah, an apology already in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry to have to ask you this," she started, "But can we _tell_ them the relationship part instead of springing it on them like this?" she gestured towards their hands. "I'm not sure either of us would make it out alive if we just waltzed in there…"

Elijah refrained from laughing and nodded his head. "Of course. Anything that would put you more at ease."

She smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you." Rising up on her tip-toes, she pecked him on the cheek. "You're amazing."

Then AJ turned around and prepared to face hell. She wondered who would fare better—her or Elijah. Probably neither.

**I have my reasons for bringing AJ's parents into this, and you'll see why soon enough. Although I do think it'd be very interesting—how they'd accept her relationship with Elijah. Please take the time and give a review! It's always much appreciated. (-:**


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N: Lack of responses is bothering me. Do you not like the way I'm going with things? If so, tell me. Throw me some ideas. Things have been slower lately, but they will be picking up soon, and staying that way. I just have to get these things out of the way. But reviews are needed—that's how I know you guys want me to continue or not.**

**Chapter Fifty-Nine**

Elena's house had its usual, cheery vibe. At least AJ always felt it whenever she was here. She could feel the strong sense of family, just in the doorway, and it always soaked over her, making her yearn for that type of family bond herself. Of course, when she'd been younger, she'd actually had that type of family bond. She'd been close with her parents, telling them everything about her life, everything she wanted to be. The days before she was preparing to leave, that kind of family bond diminished, broke. And she knew she was the one who'd broken it. Could things like that ever be fixed?

The house smelled of vanilla, and as AJ looked to the right, inside the living room she could see a few vanilla candles burning above the fireplace. Her parents weren't visible yet, because the wall blocked out where they were sitting, but she could hear them. Her mom's cheery, happy voice flowed to her as she responded to a comment Elena made about the weather. Her father's rich and louder voice followed.

AJ glanced back at Elijah behind her, giving him another grateful look. If they chose to walk in, holding hands so very blatantly, AJ knew even bringing up the mere _idea_ of their relationship would be deadly. But if they walked in together, just comfortable and amicable, she didn't see how it could go too horribly wrong.

Without waiting any longer, AJ strode into the room, taking note of everyone present and where they sat. Jenna was to her right, sitting next to Alaric, in a loveseat. Jeremy sat down near the fireplace, splayed out comfortably even though he looked anything but. He gave AJ a furtive apologetic look when their eyes met. Stephen and Elena sat on one of the two couches, both looking a little strained. Stephen nudged Elena softly in the side when he saw AJ, and her eyes turned to her best friend as well. And then, on the couch across from Stephen and Elena, there were her parents.

AJ's mother, Laura, was sitting upright, a hand on her knee. Her blonde hair was completely opposite of AJ's, but her bright hazel eyes held the same golden flecks AJ's did. Though they lacked the fearlessness and stubbornness that made the way AJ looked at things unique, it was made up for by complete and genuine kindness and interest. Her mother wore a rosy pink cardigan over a white t-shirt and perfectly ironed white capris. Her small frame was similar to AJ's, but the difference in toned muscle was another obvious factor that set them apart. Next to Laura was AJ's father, Robert. He wore dark dress pants and a light polo shirt; country club attire AJ had seen dozens of times. His dark hair was that of AJ's and his blue eyes reminded her of her brother, who was not present. Her father's strength was quite obvious—he'd been a major football player in college—and the way he held himself was with dignity, but not in a self-centered way. AJ never thought she'd really see her parents like this, looking happy, laughing, making small talk. It was all so normal. The way they'd departed long ago hadn't been normal.

Her mother gasped as her eyes turned to her daughter, and her father sat still, looking at her from head to toe. AJ wanted to close her eyes for what would come next, but she forced herself to remain strong. When AJ's mother stood up and rushed to embrace her, it had been the last thing she'd expected.

"Oh, AJ!" she shouted happily in only the way a mother seeing their child for the first time in years could shout. She put her arms around AJ, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. Although her mother was several inches shorter than AJ and much leaner with lack of muscle, her strength was surprising. AJ stood, dumbstruck, as her mother still hugged her fiercely. She watched, unmoving, as her father stood and moved to hug her as well.

"AJ," he said, pulling her into his arms, "It's so good to see you."

After she pulled away, she took a step back from both of them. Her eyes were wide as she searched their faces for any hint of anger. She saw none.

"Who are you," she asked slowly, "And what the _hell_ have you done with my parents?"

Laura's mouth pulled into a tight line. "AJ," she said sternly, "Language."

"Oh my God," AJ said to herself, but everyone could hear it, "You _are_ my parents. What the hel—heck," she looked between the two, "Why aren't you… screaming at me?"

Her parents exchanged guilty looks. "Sweetie," her father began, "The way you left—it hadn't been pleasant for any of us. We know that. And you never picked up when we called—not once. We pushed you away, when really we should have been more understanding. AJ… We're so sorry."

Although AJ could tell he was being genuine, there was something in his voice that caught her attention. It was the same underlying tone her brother had when he wanted something.

"I'm not going home," she deadpanned, looking them both in the eyes. She felt more than elated and relieved that they were sorry—that they understood how harsh they'd been when she'd left—but she wouldn't let those emotions manipulate her.

Her mother's shoulders drooped and she casted a disappointed look at her father. "It's just what happened to Lucas—"her mother began, but was cut off.

"You have no clue what happened to Lucas," AJ said as calmly as she could. She was sad over his death—horrified that it'd been because of her, even—but no tears surfaced in her eyes. Lucas really hadn't changed. He'd been a puppet. He'd been what Klaus _made_ him to be, for his convenience.

"AJ," her father said sternly, "We're just concerned about your safety. We see that you've built a life for yourself here," he gestured around the room when suddenly his eyes landed on a silent Elijah, standing behind AJ. He stopped and stared at him. "And who are you? One of Jenna's friends?"

AJ's face heated up. This wasn't going how she wanted it to—nor was it following any of the scenarios that raced through her head in the car. It was a little bit worse. She moved to stand beside Elijah, knowing her parents eyes were glued to her the whole time. She found his hand and placed her own into it, the touch of his skin sending blissful shivers down her spine.

"He," AJ began, smiling at Elijah even through her nervousness, "is _my_ friend actually. My boyfriend." She turned back to face her parents, and her heart skipped several beats before picking back up and thumping so loudly in her chest, she figured they had to hear it. She knew Elijah could.

Her parents blanched, the color draining from their faces, but they didn't look absolutely horrified. Just... surprised. Around the room, she could see Jenna gasp in surprise, although Alaric already knew. Jeremy buried his face in his hands, either to keep from laughing or to keep from showing how distressed he was. Elena and Stephen just watched with tight faces, hesitant to do much of anything. Elijah was poised and cool, as if he expected this. He stretched out his hand to her father.

"I'm Elijah Smith," he said smoothly, using the fake last name he'd made up when he first came to Mystic Falls, "It's a pleasure to meet the both of you."

AJ's father recovered quickly. He shook Elijah's hand. "Robert Echo," he said, "And this is my wife, Laura."

AJ's mom shook his hand next, however meekly. She was looking him from head to toe, as was her father, and AJ was relieved to see that they didn't look totally disapproving. Although she knew there would be a torrent of questions to follow. He looked to be at least thirty in human years—she knew that wouldn't really go over well. At all.

"Well," Jenna said in her happy-hostess voice as she stood up, "Why don't you four take a seat, and I'll go get some lemonade."

As she disappeared into the kitchen, Elena and Stephen moved aside on the couch, making room for AJ and Elijah. Her parents returned the other couch watching Elijah the entire time. AJ never thought something like this would happen—not in a million years. She was introducing _Elijah_, an Original vampire, to her _parents._ Those things didn't belong in the same sentence, or in the same room.

"Elijah," AJ's father started first, "Exactly _how_ long have you been dating my daughter?"

"Dad!" AJ threw her hands up in exasperation. She supposed the question was a lot better than 'Exactly _how_ old are you?', but it was still a little blunt. That, and they really had only been dating for a little over a month. With this realization, she was both surprised and nervous. She was surprised because it took less than a month to fall in love with him. She was nervous because that definitely wasn't a good answer to the question.

AJ's father gave her a pointed look; one that said I'm-not-too-certain-I-even-like-him-yet-so-I-can-ask-him-whatever-I-want. AJ crossed her arms and clamped her mouth shut to refrain from huffing petulantly. It seemed that her parents could still bring out the teenager in her.

Her father and mother returned their full attention to Elijah. And so did the rest of the room. AJ could feel the tension thick in the air.

"It's actually been quite a while," Elijah said smoothly, placing a hand on AJ's knee. She placed hers over his, thankful for his quick thinking.

"Has it?" Robert looked between the two suspiciously. "And what do you do for a living?" he asked Elijah again, "Or are you going to school?"

Elijah smiled charmingly. "I'm a writer, actually. I came here for research on the history of the town."

"Is that how you met?" Laura asked, a little wistfully. AJ knew her mother was a romantic. Maybe they had a chance if they could appeal to that part of her.

"Yes, actually," Elijah said, turning and smiling genuinely at AJ, "I needed someone who was familiar with the properties in the more rural part of town to show me around, and Jenna volunteered. You can imagine my surprise when I saw this beautiful woman show up to help out."

AJ smiled back at him. He really was quite charming; even if that totally wasn't the way they met. Not even a little close to it.

"Is that how you see her?" Robert asked briskly, "As a woman?"

Elijah gave him a look of confusion. "How else should she be seen? I've never met someone so wise but so—"

"Young?" Robert broke in.

Elijah laughed lightly, "I suppose. Age can be deceiving, though. She acts years older than what she is."

"Which is eighteen," Robert said.

Laura shot him a dirty look. "Robert," she chastised, "Be nice."

He raised a surprised eyebrow at his wife, but said nothing.

"So how well have you gotten to know each other?" Laura asked, a small smile on her face.

AJ felt butterflies surge through her stomach. She didn't exactly know what that smile meant, but she knew it couldn't be good.

"Quite well," Elijah said, "Wouldn't you agree?" he asked AJ.

AJ laughed, finding an opening to get back at her father, "Yes. You know me better than my own parents do."

She was meant with reproachful looks from both of her parents, but she could see Elena and Stephen holding back laughter. She glanced over to Jeremy and Alaric; it seemed Jeremy was like Stephen and Elena, but Alaric was on her parents' side. His mouth was set in a grim line as he waited for Jenna to return.

"So," Laura began, the small smile back on her face, "You know about her criminal activities, then?"

"_Mom_," AJ hissed, frowning.

Elijah grinned. "Oh yes. In fact, I recently had to hide her lock-picking set."

Laura gasped and glared at AJ. "I thought we agreed: _no more lock-picking._ You promised. If you get thrown in jail, don't expect your father and me to bail you out."

AJ held her hands up in defense. "You can't tell me that it didn't come in handy when you locked me out of the house—you were four _hours_ away! There was a _blizzard_. How do you know I didn't have similar circumstances here?"

Elena chuckled, earning herself a glare from Laura. "Sorry." She looked down sheepishly.

"I know you couldn't have had similar circumstances because they don't have blizzards here, and Elijah looks none too happy about it either," Laura pointed out.

AJ nudged Elijah in the ribs for being a traitor. "I had good reasons. _Anyway," _she stressed the word, hinting at a change of subject, "Where's Ben?"

Her parents exchanged glances, and it was a look she couldn't decipher.

"Ben," Robert spoke up, "wasn't sure that you'd want to see him. He stayed home."

AJ frowned. "Oh. I see."

After an awkward pause, Elijah looked at AJ. "Ben. This is your brother, right?"

With a sigh, AJ nodded. "Yes. He's a few years older."

Another awkward pause.

Jenna walked in, just in time, with a pitcher of lemonade in one hand and several glasses in the other. "Did I miss anything?" she asked as she began pouring glasses of lemonade.

Elena smiled at her. "Not a thing."

Jenna smiled back, and began handing out the glasses. She returned to her seat next to Alaric, cuddling up close to him.

A moment passed and Robert looked down at his hands, and then back up at AJ. His eyes were pleading. "AJ, about coming home—"

"I already said no," she said firmly. She held onto Elijah's hand tighter. Nothing could take her away from him. Nothing and no one. That, and she had to be here for the sacrifice. She would never abandon her friends when they needed her most.

Robert sighed. Laura looked at her daughter sadly. "AJ, it's for your safety. You were right: we don't know what happened to Luke. Which is exactly why we don't want the same to happen to you."

"AJ will not be harmed," Elijah said seriously, "I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

AJ smiled warmly at him, and then turned and looked at her parents, the smile still on her face. "Don't you see? _Elijah_ is my safety. He's—well he's my everything," she said and her face heated up. Wasn't it when people were married that they confessed the way they felt about their love to their parents?

Robert looked between the two, his expression unreadable. "I see."

Laura had her wistful smile once more as she looked at AJ and Elijah's intertwined hands. "That's—why that's absolutely beautiful, sweetie," she said to AJ.

Robert gave her a look, but just that.

"I have a wonderful idea," Laura piped up again, smiling broadly, "We saw that cute little restaurant, the Grille, on our way into town. How about we meet up with the two of you for dinner later? Say around six?"

"That would be great," Elijah replied before AJ could say anything. She nodded in assent, but a strange feeling washed over her. Would it be that wonderful? She could imagine her father getting less happy by the second.

"Wonderful!" Laura clasped her hands together and smiled sweetly.

"Now if you'll excuse us," Elijah said as he stood, pulling AJ up with him. She was ecstatic to finally be leaving. "We have to report to the Sheriff at the police station. She wanted to get statements," he embellished, since she really wanted to interrogate the both of them.

Laura nodded gravely. "Of course. We were just going to chat with Jenna and Alaric for a bit. See you at dinner, sweetie," she said as she stood and gave AJ another hug. Her father followed in suit, but stiffly. AJ could tell he wasn't very happy.

On their way out, AJ gave Elena a grateful look. Elena returned it with a smile and a nod. AJ would forever be indebted to her best friend's kindness. She knew that to be a fact.

Having finally returned to the car, AJ let out a sigh. "That wasn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be, and yet it was at the same time."

Elijah regarded her with an amused expression as he pulled out onto the street, en route to the police station. "Your father doesn't seem to like me."

AJ laughed. "He never liked any boy I ever brought home for him to meet."

"And exactly how many boys have you brought home for him to meet?" Elijah asked facetiously.

AJ's face reddened. "A few."

The sides of Elijah's lips quirked up. "I should have known you left more than one boy heartbroken in your home town. Tell me," he said, casting a side glance at her, "Are there others I need to worry about that might try and take you away from me?"

"Don't you mean other that might be puppets for Klaus to play with and use just to get to me, and end up dead in the backyard in the middle of the night?" she quipped harshly, even though she didn't mean to.

"AJ…" Elijah looked at her apologetically.

"No," she shook her head, "_You_ don't need to apologize. It's my fault he was killed."

"It was _not_," he said firmly, his mouth set in a grim line. "Do not blame yourself, AJ. He wasn't even a commendable person—he used to _abuse_ you. As much as I hate to say it, he deserves what happened."

AJ was appalled. "How _can_ you say that? No one deserves to be _used _like that! To _die_ like that!"

"AJ—"

"No," she said again, "Just—please. Let's just go to the station, all right. The sooner we get with over with, the better."

Elijah waited a moment before saying anything again. "Well, you have dinner to look forward to."

She shot him a dirty look. "Your attempt at humor failed epically."

Elijah frowned, but shrugged. "I'm sure it won't be too bad."

AJ laughed humorlessly. "Oh, trust me. It will be. You've only caught a glimpse at how my parents can be."

Elijah looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror. His eyes had once been hard, intimidating, and even hostile. And now they were filled with worry that this girl's—the _Warrior's_—parents wouldn't like him all that much. It was truly an anomaly.

**Please tell me what you're thinking with a review. They're very helpful. (-:**


	60. Chapter 60

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

**Chapter Sixty**

The police station smelled of coffee—a heady, potent coffee. And doughnuts. AJ never really realized just how true to the stereotype some cops could be. That, and some cops could be totally the opposite. She knew from the few times she'd actually been caught back home, doing something she wasn't supposed to do. She didn't have a built up rap sheet—her father had always made sure of it—but she knew to be a lot more cautious around police these days. And especially _these_ cops—they were part-cop part-vampire hunters. They were like super-cops. She wondered how Elijah felt about being around them.

The moment she and Elijah showed up, the Sheriff greeted them wearily. The dark circles under her eyes and the coffee in her hands were telltale signs that she'd been up all night, looking into Lucas's murder.

"AJ, Elijah," Sheriff Forbes nodded her head at each of them, her weary eyes looking strained and a little bloodshot, "Follow me."

She led them through a maze of desks, each with scattered paperwork and files covering the majority of the desktop, and large, obviously outdated computers filled the rest of the space. Some officers were hard at work, brows furrowed in determination as they searched through files or databases. Others lingered here and there, making chit-chat with fellow officers.

The station, itself, didn't look at all like the high-tech police stations on TV. Wood paneling covered the walls, along with hardwood flooring and similar colored wood desks. It was like the bland brown color was all that suited the place. AJ cringed when she saw an old tack-board—the old-school kind used to narrow down suspects or show connections between people—it had Lucas's high school picture at the top. It even had her own photo on it, although she wasn't sure for what reason. Was she a suspect?

A moment later, the Sheriff was holding open a door, leading into her office. There were clutters of files here and there, sitting on tables or on her main desk. Bookshelves lined the back wall; however they mostly held binders that were for the most part unmarked. The occasional 'Drug Relations' or 'Deputy Paperwork' was labeled neatly, but that was about it. Two chairs were settled in front of her desk while a large, cushion-backed one sat behind it. The Sheriff gestured for AJ and Elijah to sit while she went around the desk and settled into the large cushioned chair.

"So," the Sheriff began as soon as both AJ and Elijah were settled, "Are you feeling better today, AJ? I realized Elijah had been right when he said you'd had enough last night—I apologize for being so pushy. It's just—well, we've been having so much trouble with these murders lately, and I'm just trying to get to the bottom of it before it gets even more out of hand."

AJ nodded. "I understand. And I am feeling better. I just—Lucas was—"she stopped, all the emotions of Lucas's death intensifying. Here she was, sitting in the Sheriff's office, about to be questioned for the murder that happened because of her, and she hadn't even shed one tear for Lucas. Not one. She suddenly felt overwhelmed with guilt. Sucking in a deep breath, she gathered her strength. She didn't need to cry about it. She felt grief for him, but she didn't need to cry about it.

Elijah reached out and put a hand over hers. She felt better immediately. His touch always reached into the depths of her, mending even the worst pains.

"You can ask whatever you need to," AJ said finally.

Sheriff Forbes nodded briskly, but not unsympathetically. Then she eyed AJ and Elijah's hands. "Well my first question is this: are you two… together?"

AJ glanced up at the Sheriff, suddenly aware of how she and Elijah must look. It'd only been a half hour ago that her parents had had a similar reaction—Elijah looked much older than AJ, and it was known that she was just eighteen. She was still in _high school_. The Sheriff's eyes were piercing as she returned AJ's look.

"Well—yes," AJ said quickly, "Yes, we are. But I'm eighteen—"

Sheriff Forbes held up a hand. "I know. It was just a question, AJ. Caroline's told me that you're… much more sophisticated for your age. But I need to know why the body—Lucas, I mean—showed up on Elijah's property. Tell me, are you living together?"

AJ bit her lip, but Elijah squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Yes," AJ said again, quietly, "We are living together."

The Sheriff nodded to herself, as already assuming this. "Do you think Lucas was put there because of you, AJ?"

The question stung AJ's heart. She looked at her hands. "I don't know," she mumbled, "Probably. I mean, I'm the only person he actually knows in this town."

"Right. You said last night that he came here to see you. That he's—was—your ex. How long did you two date for? How serious had you two been?"

Despite the circumstances, AJ's face reddened. She knew Elijah hated hearing about when she dated Lucas. He knew things that the Sheriff did not and would not know. "We dated for a while—a couple years. We were… serious. But things broke off, and I left."

"I see," the Sheriff said, tapping a finger on her chin, "And why did things break off? If you'd been serious…"

Elijah tensed next to AJ. She spoke quickly. "Differences. We were serious, but we had a lot of differences—not much in common. It wasn't a big deal."

Sheriff Forbes eyes held some sort of emotion in them, something AJ couldn't decipher. "I see." She sat up straighter in the chair and riffled through papers on her desk. Coming to the one she wanted, she pulled it out swiftly and placed it on the desk so that both AJ and Elijah could see it. "We pulled his cell phone records and saw several patterns. Can you explain to me why he'd call you so often? Why you never answered, or only did on the rare occasion? Had he been more heartbroken over the breakup?"

AJ's stomach tightened. She swallowed hard. "He—he always wanted another chance. He thought we were meant to be together. But I didn't. When I did answer, I made that very clear." She suddenly smiled ruefully at a thought. "You know how the song goes, I'm sure. 'When a heart breaks, it doesn't break even.' I suppose that was how it was."

"All right," Sheriff Forbes said, but there was still an underlying tone AJ didn't understand. She sifted through some more papers, again stopping at the one she wanted. She placed it neatly at the edge of the desk, facing AJ and Elijah. AJ's heart started hammering against her chest when she read PATIENT: AJ ECHO at the top of the file. There were many sheets lying under it, making it bulky.

"My medical files," AJ said quietly, trying to keep from grinding her teeth together. Elijah shouldn't be here for this, she thought, he shouldn't have to hear about any of this. Not again. A brief flash back to when it had been _Elijah_ looking into her medical files brought on a sense of déjà-vu. Would she forever be under a microscope?

"Yes," Sheriff Forbes leaned back into her chair, her hands folding together to make a triangle. Her eyes held steady on AJ, curious. "Tell me, how old were you when you and Lucas had been dating?"

AJ kept her face void of emotion and her voice steady. "I was fifteen. Sixteen when we broke it off."

The Sheriff nodded knowingly. "I got a hold of your medical files just last night. It was just a feeling. I wanted to see if you'd ever had any serious injuries before—if whoever killed Lucas had ever hurt you in some way. But I found something quite different. Something very interesting, in fact." The Sheriff's eyes softened and yet hardened at the same time, something AJ figured only Mrs. Forbes could pull off so well. Beside AJ, Elijah was as tense and stiff as a rock.

"That I went cliff diving once, and only managed to break a _couple_ ribs? Yeah, I found that rather interesting, too, when I woke up. The doctors said—"

"AJ," Sheriff Forbes interrupted in a clipped tone, "I've known you for several years. I know sarcasm is your form of defensiveness. So we'll have none of that." Her harshness softened once more, and she looked almost motherly at AJ. "I really do hate to open old wounds, but I'm afraid I must."

The room was silent for a moment, as AJ gave no reaction other than staring at the file, seeing the messy doctor's handwriting and dreading what could happen next.

"I would hate to assume that Elijah already knows about… your main medical condition," Sheriff Forbes said, hanging off the sentence in a question rather than statement.

"He knows," AJ said factually, keeping any emotion tucked far away, "Narcolepsy. No biggie."

The Sheriff's lips twitched. "No biggie? AJ—I know a thing or two about narcolepsy. It's actually a very big—"

"Sheriff," AJ met the woman's eyes, "Please move on to what you really want to talk about."

Sheriff Forbes mouth settled into a tight line, but she did as asked. "All right. Well, as I was looking through your files—which there are an abundance of, as you can see—I saw… other patterns. At early ages, there's the occasional file for your dare-devil stunts. Doctors have actually noted that in there," Sheriff commented, her mouth quirking up ever so slightly, but just as quickly it grew grim, "And then, when you're about fifteen, there's an increasing amount of injuries. Much more serious ones—you'd often end up in the hospital. The doctors would note that you'd claim it was from some silly stunt you attempted, but it looked more like you'd been abused. Hit or kicked, or worse. There was even the occasion that they believed some sort of weapon was involved."

Elijah, AJ felt, would explode in anger if the Sheriff kept at it the way she was.

"Yes," AJ said briskly, "And your point?" She kept her hand with Elijah's, rubbing her thumb softly over his rough palm, trying to keep him as calm as she could.

"My point," the Sheriff began as she pulled herself back up to sit straight, looking down at the files now, "is that you were dating Lucas during this time, weren't you?"

"Yes," AJ said matter-of-factly, "I was."

Sheriff Forbes sighed sadly. "I didn't want to have to come right out and ask, but I'm afraid you're really giving me no choice, AJ."

"Can Elijah leave, then?" AJ asked crisply, "I really don't think it's appropriate for you to make him stay here while we discuss this."

"It's fine," Elijah managed to say in a normal voice, "I will stay."

AJ glanced at him, surprised. His face was still a mask of impassiveness, but she knew how angry he was about this topic. "If you're sure…"

He nodded, but that was all. His eyes bored into the medical files in front of them, unblinking.

"All right." Sheriff Forbes eyed them, but shrugged. Her eyes held the motherly look in them once more. AJ suddenly felt erroneous and uncomfortable—it wasn't like she ever looked at Caroline like that. "AJ—I've known you for some time. You've always been great to Caroline, you were always such good friends. You know you could have spoken to me about this, don't you? At any time—if you would have just _told_ me, I could have done something."

"I suppose you could have," AJ said, and for a brief second her voice wavered. She had thought, several times in the past, to talk to Caroline's mom about it.

"Why didn't you? We could have gotten a restraining order—"

"Sheriff," AJ cut in, her voice blunt, "You want to know if Lucas abused me. The answer is yes, he did when we were dating. But I told you—I broke it off. I left. And besides, I'm sure you easily came to that conclusion just by looking at my records. So what is it you want to know, now?"

Sheriff Forbes blinked at AJ, almost perturbed at the way she could so easily speak of being abused as if it never happened. "Well," she started slowly, her fair skin reddening slightly, "I have to ask out of protocol, really. But… did you kill Lucas Herring?"

"No," AJ said grimly, "I did not."

The Sheriff nodded. "The coroner placed time of death between eleven and midnight last night. Where were you, then?"

"With Elijah," AJ said, her face also flushing because she was talking to not only the Sheriff, but Caroline's _mom_, "Sleeping."

Sheriff Forbes eyes flicked to Elijah. "And you can confirm her alibi?"

"Yes. She had trouble sleeping last night, but she was there." Elijah was less tense now, since the topic of abuse was over and done with.

"Well, now I'm curious about something else," Sheriff Forbes said, and AJ didn't like the tone in her voice. She kept getting confused—was the Sheriff playing good cop/bad cop? Because she kept going from interrogator-squinty-eyes to motherly-sad-and-sympathetic eyes and back again. "She may have been there, then. But why did you show up at three a.m., just when all the officers began canvassing the area? Where did you go last night, AJ?"

AJ sighed heavily, thankful for her natural ability to lie all of a sudden. It had gotten her in some bad spots with Elijah before, but they needed this now. "I went for a walk. I had a bad dream last night, and walking for a little while usual helps."

"Right," the Sheriff said, unconvinced, "Where did you walk to that took so long?"

AJ opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly Elijah stood, catching the Sheriff's eyes.

"AJ just went for a walk last night to clear her head so she could sleep better," Elijah said. AJ recognized that tone—he was compelling the Sheriff now. "You don't think she or I are suspects in the murder of Lucas Herring because there's no evidence that says so. Someone else planted his body on our property, but you don't know why or who. You're letting us leave now because we have a dinner to get to, and you can see how much this upsets AJ. You have no further questions for us." Elijah still stood, but he was finished. He now regarded the Sheriff with a charming smile. "Thank you, Sheriff, for being so understanding. I do hope you find whoever did this terrible crime."

AJ took Elijah's outstretched hand as she stood as well. "Thanks, Sheriff Forbes."

The Sheriff smiled ruefully. "Yes, of course. I understand how this can be so hard on you AJ. Have a nice dinner, you two."

And with that, Elijah was leading AJ out of the Sherriff's office, through the maze of desks, and back outside. As soon as they were out of the station, AJ peered up at him curiously.

"If you were planning to compel her all along, why didn't you do it earlier?"

Elijah shrugged. "She needed your information, which she has now, and I couldn't have told it all to her. But now we aren't suspects, and we can make it to dinner on time." He began to head towards the car, but AJ stopped him.

She gave him a puzzled look. "I thought the Sheriff couldn't be compelled. Doesn't she wear vervain, or drink it or something?"

"I believe that stopped happening when Caroline compelled her to believe she wasn't a vampire, yes?"

"Oh," AJ said, feeling stupid, "You're right." Her lips pulled into a pout. "I'd actually been hoping we'd miss dinner… I mean, we can always skip and find something _else_ to do," she said suggestively.

Elijah pulled her close, his hands on her hips. His mouth hovered just over hers. "As much as I would _love_ to do that, I would also love for your parents not to hate me. So we are going to this dinner."

AJ pouted again. "Remember what happened the _last_ time you went to a dinner?"

Elijah gave her a reproachful look. "Yes. And I remember that it took you several weeks to _revive me_."

"Okay," AJ sighed, "Probably not the best thing to remind you of. Well, how do you know that my parents aren't vampire-hunters?"

Elijah cocked an eyebrow.

"They aren't, but how could you know? I mean, we could be walking into a trap just by entering the Grille. My parents may not be vampire-hunters, but they are crazy. Especially when it involves talking to a guy I'm serious with," AJ warned. Elijah shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Elijah," she called as he headed to the car, "I mean it! They're _crazy_!"

**Please give a review! They are all appreciated.(-:**


	61. Chapter 61

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**Chapter Sixty-One**

The Grille was its usual atmosphere. Drinks up at the bar, pool tables, TV stations with big games on and such. But the usual atmosphere did nothing whatsoever to quell AJ's nerves. Seeing her parents twice in one day, when she hadn't seen them in several _years_, was testing her limits on how long her heart could hold out for. Right now, it was pounding manically against her chest. She furtively glanced around, causing Elijah to regard her with a look of bemusement.

"What are you doing?"

AJ peeked behind them, at the doorway they'd just walked through, before replying. "Checking for booby traps. You never know."

Elijah exhaled patiently. "AJ. Your parents haven't set any traps."

"Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "And just how do you know?"

Elijah laughed. "Because I highly doubt they're as crazy as you continue to claim."

"Elijah," AJ said seriously, "Look at _me_." She let his eyes drift over her for a few seconds.

He saw scars from her old dare-devil days (he refused to acknowledge the fact that she may still be in those days, and she may never truly leave those days behind), the newer paranoid gleam in her eyes, and the small tattoo on her wrist. And then he remembered all the other things about her—how she was a complete genius, having no need to study for tests or exams, finishing projects and homework within minutes; that she really was an adrenaline junkie living on the edge of life; that she was somehow this amazingly sweet girl who could turn completely the opposite (threatening, dangerous, scary) in a split second; that she had no respect, or really no true sense, of authority; that she had this sort of battle within, between her good and evil side; that she loved _him_, an Original vampire.

"Now that you see my parents _result_, doesn't it make you wonder what _they're_ like?"

Elijah's mouth tightened into a line. "I have no idea what you mean," he fibbed, looking around the restaurant. He caught Laura and Robert Echo waving at them and flashed them a charming smile before turning back to AJ, who was feeling around the inside of her boot for her pocketknife.

"AJ," Elijah shot her a wary look, "Give me your knife."

She stood up straight, slowly. The knife was still safely in her boot, just where she liked it. "Why?" she asked innocently.

He looked at her sternly, holding his hand out. AJ pouted and bent to grab her knife, placing it in his palm reluctantly.

"I wasn't planning to use it," she said, pouting, "You know how it comforts me to have it."

"Right," Elijah eyed her again. "And this is the only one you have on you?" He waved the small one in the air, but so others couldn't see it.

She crossed her arms. "I'm offended that you'd think I'd stock up on weapons just to have a dinner with my parents."

Elijah cocked an eyebrow. AJ huffed and pulled out the slightly bigger knife from the back of her jeans waistline.

"I was just being cautious."

"Uh-huh," Elijah said, putting both knifes into his pocket. "And no more calling them 'piranha parents'. I'd like for this dinner to go… smoothly." She pouted again. He could have laughed at her little antics, but he thought better of it. "Shall we?" He held out his hand, this time for her to hold on to. She accepted it wearily, taking in a deep breath.

"If they kill me," AJ said dramatically as they headed towards the table her parents were sitting at, "You'll feel really sorry for not wanting to skip this to—"

"Hello, you two!" Laura beamed at AJ and Elijah, gesturing for them to sit across the booth, "How has your day been?"

"Well," AJ began, sliding in first, "If you consider being interrogated by one of your best friend's mothers, because she thinks you may have murdered your ex-boyfriend, a good day, then it was just _fan_tastic. Phenomenally great."

Elijah elbowed her softly under the table as he slid in beside her.

Laura's eyes widened, and Robert looked perturbed.

"I thought the Sheriff just wanted to get statements," Laura said, obviously upset.

Elijah shot AJ a reproving look. "She did," he said calmly, "She was just very specific about everything. I assured AJ that she is _not_ a suspect."

"You assured her," Robert repeated, placing his elbows on the table purposefully, "And in what ways does he assure you, AJ?" His eyes flicked to his daughter intently.

AJ rolled her eyes. "By hot sex on the beach. You know, because that's the kind of girl I am," she said, her tone dripping sarcasm. Her mother blanched, but her father, now irritated, rolled his eyes. "How do you think, Dad? I voiced my concerns about being a suspect, and he said there was no way someone could ever think I'd do such a thing." White lie. Nothing she'd go to hell for. Presumably.

"Well," Robert said in a clipped tone, "Then he obviously doesn't know you."

"Robert!" Laura gaped at her husband. Elijah raised an eyebrow.

Robert shrugged. "This," he nodded at AJ, "Is the little girl who sat and watched eight hours of horror movies the same day we got her a pony. She was five. And even _we_ couldn't sit and watch them," he gestured between himself and Laura.

"Oh," Laura said, now looking at AJ, "Yes, I do remember that. And then when I'd woken you up from a nightmare later that night, you asked me why because it had been 'like being in a real horror movie.'"

Elijah fought a smile, but AJ just shrugged a shoulder. "I went through a phase. Every kid goes through one."

"Do you remember the one phase where you'd—"

"Yes, Mother!" AJ broke in quickly, "I _do_ remember that phase. There's absolutely no reason to bring that up." She kept her eyes on the table, wide with dredged up thoughts.

"Except," Elijah said, amused, "That I would like to know exactly which phase this is."

AJ shot daggers at him. "No," she said through clenched teeth, "You don't."

Elijah laughed. The waitress came up to the booth, prepared with pen and pad to take drink orders. After she left, the focus returned to Elijah once more, as it had earlier that day.

"So Elijah," Robert started, and an immediate surge of butterflies suffused through AJ's stomach, "You're a writer. How have you been supporting yourself? I hear that sort of career can take years to get cash flow going."

Elijah smiled charismatically. "I've actually done quite well. Although I'm focusing on a historical genre at the moment, in previous years I published a few mysteries. They've been popular." Another white lie. AJ wondered if people could go to hell for an accumulate amount of white lies, and just how many it would take to accumulate that exact amount. Just this one dinner? The next time they saw her parents?

Robert somehow seemed delighted at this bit of information. "So does your focus tend to be capricious, then? You go from one thing to another, one _woman_ to another…?"

AJ frowned, kicking her father under the table. He met her with a level look, but then regarded Elijah expectantly.

"My interests are far from being easily changed," Elijah said coolly. He put a hand over AJ's. "And as for women, I think I've found one I'd like to keep."

AJ smiled at him, her heart skipping a beat. If her parents hadn't been sitting across the table, she would have kissed him without a moment's hesitation.

"Hmpf. And if you aren't allowed to keep her?" Robert looked at Elijah challengingly.

Elijah smiled, but AJ could see there was something… dangerous in the smile. She wondered if her parents saw it, or if she just knew him better. "She's worth fighting for."

"She's worth more than fighting for," Robert said, somehow displeased.

AJ heaved a sigh. "Dad. Really?"

He held his hands out in a what-can-I-say gesture.

"Well," Laura beamed at AJ and Elijah again, "I think you two make a beautiful couple."

"Of course _you_ do," Robert muttered.

Laura jabbed him in the side, none too gently. The drink orders returned, and the waitress took the food order. AJ hadn't realized everyone else was ready, but since she was a regular, she already knew what to get.

AJ opened her mouth to start off on a new topic, something that wouldn't reflect upon her or Elijah badly, when suddenly an unmistakably familiar accent spoke up from beside her.

"Why, is that you AJ? And Elijah, brother! How wonderful to see you two!"

AJ blanched, the color completely draining from her face, and beside her Elijah tensed, his hands clenched into fists under the table and his teeth grinding together, flexing the muscle in his jaw. Stiffly, they both turned to the right.

Klaus stood there, in jeans, a white v-neck tee shirt, and a dark jacket. His fair hair was its usual short, curliness. He grinned at AJ, and she could see under layers of phenomenal acting, the wickedness in it. And something else. That emotion she could never quite decipher, except that after the last time she saw him, she had an idea of what it was. An involuntary shiver went down her spine as she noticed he had his arms out, to greet her with a _hug._ She froze completely. Her parents were both watching her expectantly, she knew, and Klaus had obviously established the fact that Elijah was his brother. Her parents would think it'd be normal for her to know Klaus, to hug him friendlily as he was prompting. Her stomach felt nauseated and her head pounded. She knew it had to be ten times worse for Elijah.

As steadily as she could, without showing any signs of emotion, AJ stood from the booth. She saw the triumphant look in Klaus's eyes, but really, what choice did she have? She walked the two paces over to him, and he embraced her. Although she could _feel_ the way it wasn't just Elijah's brother greeting her like a friend—it was Klaus, dark and hungry for more—she doubted her parents could tell. But she could—oh she could tell. She could feel the heat of his body emanating off of him, appealing to her darker side. It brought back all the memories of the night before. They way he'd kissed her—they way she'd kissed him _back_. The wanting. The hunger. The _desire_ for more. The betrayal.

AJ stepped back away from Klaus, feeling her heart beat painfully against her ribs. It wasn't fair that he was here. This wasn't fair. She broke eye contact with him, his dark blue eyes so enticing and enthralling—she knew she was losing it. Never before had she been in both the presence of Elijah and Klaus at the same time. Surely this couldn't end well. Especially not with her parents here.

Her hands were trembling when she returned to her seat beside Elijah. Their eyes met, and she was relieved to see that he was understanding, not outraged, about her actions, although his mouth was kept in a tight line.

Laura turned her beaming smile onto Klaus. "Well, who might you be? Did you say brother?" She looked between Elijah and Klaus, somewhat giddily. Little did she know that Klaus had murdered the rest of Elijah's family; Elijah's life was at stake this very moment (in AJ's eyes); Klaus also seemed to have some sort of feelings for AJ; and possibly worst of all, he was half Original vampire, half dormant werewolf, and a total charm.

"I'm terribly sorry if I'm cutting in to something," Klaus said humbly, looking at her parents, and then at her and Elijah, "I just couldn't help myself. So rarely do I get to see the two of you anymore." His glances at Elijah and AJ seemed innocent, and yet so very chilling. He turned back to Laura and Robert. "I'm Klaus, Elijah's brother. You must be AJ's parents." He grinned, holding out his hand. AJ watched—everything felt like it was in slow motion—as he shook her father's hand, and then her mother's. She cringed at the sight of him _touching_ her parents with the same hands that undoubtedly murdered countless people. That murdered Lucas.

"It's so wonderful to meet you!" Laura said, clasping her hands together. "You aren't cutting into anything—in fact, you should pull up a chair! Of course, if you have the time for it."

Klaus smiled kindly, and then looked down at the silver watch on his left wrist. "You know, I think I do have some time. Would that be all right with you, brother?" Elijah and Klaus's eyes locked for the first time, and AJ could sense the tension. She felt like she was choking on it, it was so heavy in the air.

"Sounds fine," Elijah said steadily, although AJ could feel him become more apprehensive by the second.

Klaus pulled a chair up from another table and placed in at the end of the booth, in between AJ and Robert.

"Oh my," Laura said suddenly, a hand over her heart, "We actually just ordered. We could get the waitress back over here, though," as she finished her sentence, she was already half standing, getting the waitresses attention.

"How kind of you," Klaus smiled at Laura. He turned to the waitress when she came up. "I'll have the steak. Rare. A steak only tastes right if it's _plenty_ bloody."

AJ cringed outwardly, and tried hiding it by tucking her hair behind her ears. The waitress left.

"AJ," his dark blue eyes turned on her. They were dancing with something electric, something dangerous. "You look lovely as ever."

AJ's cheeks flushed. She swallowed hard, only glancing at him momentarily before decidedly staring at the table. "Thank you."

"And brother," Klaus turned his wicked gaze onto Elijah, "How have you been? I've heard about the estate you've been staying in, maybe a half hour from here. Didn't think to invite me for a visit yet?"

"An estate?" Laura looked at Elijah, very impressed.

"Yes," Klaus began before Elijah could say anything, "You see, my brother here is a writer. You'd see how well he's been doing if you just caught one look at his home. Isn't that right, AJ?"

Oh, God. "Yes," AJ said quietly, "It's beautiful."

"So you've been there?" Robert asked, getting fatherly-protective again.

AJ cleared her throat, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic. "You could say that."

Klaus laughed lightly. "There's no need for modesty, AJ." He turned to her parents again. "She moved in with him, about a month ago. Right?"

Laura's mouth gaped open and Robert's face was white with rage. "You _what?_" they both asked in unison.

Elijah smiled, just as charmingly as Klaus. "It was a decision we made together. Lucas had shown up, and she had some qualms about him being around. She felt safer staying with me. We'd thought it only temporary, but—"he held out his hands, displaying sheepishness, "I didn't want her to go."

"And I didn't want to leave," AJ put in quickly, but very genuinely.

Klaus opened his mouth to speak again, but AJ quickly intervened.

"Uh—Klaus. There was something I needed to talk to you about."

"Oh? And what might that be?" He inquired, a daring gleam in his eyes.

AJ gave him a pointed look. "_Outside_," she said quietly. Shooting Elijah an apologetic but urgent look, she grabbed Klaus and headed towards the door. However uncomfortable the thought of leaving Elijah alone with her piranha parents was, she needed to get Klaus under control.

As soon as she was at the door, she whipped it open, shoving Klaus through, and followed after him.

Back at the table, Elijah sat in an awkward silence with Laura and Robert. He knew AJ had pulled Klaus away to try and get his attempts to ruin the entire dinner to cease, but he wondered just how she was going to convince him to do that, and what it might cost her. The very thought of them being alone, and him _knowing_ about it, was aggravating, infuriating, and so many other things. But he kept calm and collected. He had no doubt she was depending on that.

"Well, Elijah," Robert broke the silence, meeting Elijah's eyes without fear, "I'm just going to be blunt, now that we have some time alone with you."

"Oh, sweetheart," Laura rolled her eyes, "Don't be rude. He's not a teenage boy you need to worry about."

"That's _exactly_ what I'm worried about. You aren't a teenager. You aren't close to being one, I would assume. And yet you look very interested in my daughter. My _teenage_ daughter. Tell me, how do you think that's appropriate in any way?"

Elijah sat up straight, looking at Robert coolly. His mouth almost quirked up at the absurd situation, but then he realized how very important it was, too. It was a matter of keeping AJ. "Sir," he began, forcing out the word. He couldn't count the years it'd been since he'd actually called someone that, and not been called it himself. "AJ is young. She's eighteen. I know this, and it's something you continue to bring up. But I love her. I love her like I've never loved anything before. I'm _privileged_ that she even has feelings for me, in return. I truly am. And I would never do anything to harm her. I'd protect her with my life. You have to understand—"

"If I may cut you off," which is exactly what Robert did, "But _you_ have to understand that ever since my little girl was _thirteen_, men would be looking at her. _Men_. Not older, teenage boys. But men. It's always been a fear of mine, and Laura's, that someday one of those men might try and take advantage of the fact that she's a little more mature for her age, that she's sophisticated and intelligent as she is beautiful. My daughter deserves nothing but the best. She deserves to be treated with respect, as an equal. She deserves a man who _can_ protect her, who can take care of her and love her like she ought to be loved. So my question to you is: do you think you can be that man? Do you think you deserve her?"

Robert stared at Elijah, waiting patiently in the silence between them. For the first time, Laura kept quiet, also wanting to hear the answer.

"No," Elijah said finally, "I don't think I deserve her. Every day I look at her, and I think that. Every single day. But I can be the man who will give her anything and everything she wants, everything she deserves to have. I have the utmost respect for her—and you needn't even worry about that," Elijah's lips quirked up momentarily, "She's not afraid to speak her mind. She isn't my equal because she's _above_ me. She's genuine, brave, courageous, kind, sweet, and so many other things. She's above me, and I know it. But she's precious to me. She's everything to me. So I will be the man she needs me to be. I'll protect her with my life. I love her like she ought to be loved and that is unconditionally, truly, and forever. I don't deserve her. But I will work hard every single day to make her happy."

A silence came over them once more, but this time Robert and Laura weren't gazing at Elijah expectantly. Much to his surprise, they were both smiling.

"And that," Robert began, "Is the best answer you could have given me."

Laura held a hand over her heart, looking wistful. "I want to tell you something, Elijah."

Elijah nodded, prepared for whatever it was she had to say. It seemed that he'd pleased Robert, but he didn't quite know what to make of Laura.

"When AJ was younger—when she was still with us—she was always so fearless. Of everything, really. Once, there was even a time we'd gotten into a terrible car accident, and do you know what she did? She kicked her own window out and saved _us_. That's how brave she is. That's how independent she is. But there was one thing I could see she was afraid of, almost wary of. And that was trusting people, giving her heart out to others. She couldn't do it—not very well. She never really needed anyone. She—well, she never needed us, either," Laura said sadly, but with some mix of maternal pride, "And now I see her here, with you, and that part of her is gone. She's not afraid. She's in _love_ with you—it's so clear. And she trusts you and depends on you. I've never seen her like this before—so _happy_. So I have no qualms about you two being together. None, whatsoever. You do make her happy, and that is the most wonderful thing of all."

Elijah was speechless, which to him, was a pretty big deal. But he'd never been in this position before. He'd never been after a girl's heart before, nor had to deal with appealing to her parents. What was he supposed to say?

"But," Robert broke in suddenly, "If you're already sleeping with her, you can kiss your sorry ass goodbye. I'm quite serious when I say I'll kill you. She has to be twenty-five until you can even think about second base."

"Robert," Laura shot him a chastising look, then an apologetic one at Elijah. "He doesn't mean that."

"Oh yes," Robert said, "I do."

"Getting a little rough there, don't you think, AJ?" Klaus said haughtily after she'd pushed him outside the Grille's doors. It was getting dark out, and she led them off to the side, to an alley so that people going in and out of the Grille wouldn't overhear their conversation.

"I'm sure some sick part of you enjoys it," she quipped, crossing her arms. "Oh—that's right. _All_ of you is sick."

Klaus smirked, his lips enticing. "You didn't seem to feel that way last night. What was it you said to me? You didn't see Death within me. It doesn't make me. It is something I choose to be, you said. Well, perhaps I want to choose something else."

"Yes well, the title 'Warrior' is already taken. Tough luck."

Klaus shook his head, advancing on AJ until her back pressed against the cool brick of the building. He stood close to her, the heat of his body warming her. His breath could be felt on her neck, sending all kinds of shivers up and down her body, and not all of them were necessarily bad.

"It is not the title I want to choose. It is the girl." His hand came up, pulling aside her hair to reveal her neck. He bent his head so that he was close to it, so close to it.

AJ's heart pounded. She had to put a hand against the brick to keep her steady.

"Why exactly do you want to choose the girl?" she asked cautiously.

Klaus let her hair fall back into place and straightened, gazing into her eyes. But he offered no answer.

AJ sighed. "What are you doing here, Klaus? Why now—with my parents? Why with Elijah around?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow and smirked. "So you would rather my brother not be around? You would rather us be alone, to have the night to ourselves, hmm?"

AJ shook her head. "That's not what I mean."

"I think it is what you mean. Part of you just doesn't want to accept it."

"No, Klaus. I love Elijah. I love him very much. But right now—what you're doing—it's more harm than good. My parents have come back after years of alienating me, and you're choosing tonight to ruin everything. You're putting me on edge. Can't you see that?"

Klaus frowned. "You are so very abstract."

AJ huffed. "Aren't you listening to a word I'm saying? Klaus—answer me. What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked as if it were.

"With you, nothing is obvious." AJ rethought that. "Except that you're a murderer, psychotic, and very, very insane."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "You left very quickly last night."

A change of subject. Just like he always seemed to do. "Yes," AJ crossed her arms again, with what little space there was between them. "And I went home to find my ex dead in the backyard and a note signed by you. What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" Suddenly anger took over her and she shoved him hard on the chest. Surprised, he stumbled back, losing his usual grace.

Klaus shook his head slowly, but didn't look menacing in the least. She wasn't quite sure _how_ he looked; it was so abnormal for him to act anything but terrifying, wicked, or, admittedly, charming.

"I told you that I was sorry for all the losses you've had to bear," he said without inflection.

"As if that makes up for you killing him! And you told me this _before_ I saw his body, Klaus! You're a monster, you know that?" Angry tears surfaced in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away with the back of her hand.

"You're very upset." He stood, now, two feet away from her, his hands at his sides and his head cocked. He was squinting at her like somehow he'd be able to see inside her, to see what it was that he could say so that she wouldn't be angry. But what did he care if she was angry or not?

"I am _very_ upset! Klaus—what don't you get about me not wanting you here? Really—what don't you get?"

Now he zoomed into her face, pinning her back against the cool brick by her wrists. His touch was gentle and yet rough at the same time. His body was pressed into hers, sending her heart on a marathon. He looked down at her, his face unreadable. His eyes seemed black in the darkness of the alley.

"What I don't get," he spoke slowly, "is that you _do_ want me here. I know it, AJ. You can try to deny it all you like, but I _know_ it. And yet you are so steadfast to believe you don't. You may have even convinced yourself on some level that you don't want me here, but I see it in your eyes. You want _me_."

AJ's eyebrows scrunched together. "Is _that_ was this is about? You—or your brother? God—you sound like Damon and Stephen! You're _acting_ like Damon and Stephen!"

His hand came by so fast, she didn't see it, she only felt it. And it stung horribly—he'd hit her face. With wide eyes, she looked up at him, completely shocked. What was even more shocking was that he mirrored her look.

His hands released her wrists immediately. "AJ, I'm—"

She pushed him again, getting him away from her, and then sunk against the brick. Gingerly, she held a hand to her face. It was sure to leave a bruise, and neither her parents nor Elijah could see that—they'd know immediately something was wrong. Elijah would probably try to kill Klaus…

"AJ," Klaus said quietly, so quietly that it surprised her. She looked over at him. "I'm sorry. I—"

"No," she said icily, "Don't apologize. Just don't, okay? This is who you are. It's what you do—you hurt people."

"No, AJ, not—"

"Just _shut up_!" AJ buried her face in her hands. "What am I going to do now? Huh? I have to go back in there, Klaus! And I can't do that looking like this!" She was almost positive the side of her face was black and blue already. It felt horrible.

"AJ, calm down, will you? I can give you my blood. It'll heal within a second."

AJ stared at him in horror. "_Your_ blood? No! That's out of the question!"

Klaus raised an eyebrow now. "Would you rather _Elijah_," he spat the name, "see it? Would you rather see what he'd try to do to me before I kill him? It _is_ a way to get him _out_ of the way, I suppose."

AJ's brows pulled together angrily. "Don't threaten him like that. How can you? He's your _brother_. How can you hate him so much?"

"How can you _love_ him so much? Do you know the way he was, before you, AJ? Do you know? Because I really don't think you do. He was as much of a monster as I am. And I'm certain he still is—he just hides it because you wouldn't think fondly of him otherwise. You are ignorant to think you've changed him."

"And you're ignorant to think anything you say could change the way I feel about him," she spat. "Now shut _up_. I need to think."

AJ looked away from Klaus, from the fair hair that was still visible through the now very dark alley, the dark eyes that were glued to her, the soft lips pulled down into a scowl. She needed to think of a plan, and she needed to do it quickly. Who knew if Elijah would come out to see if she was okay? Who knew if something horrible was happening with him and her parents right now? She closed her eyes, putting a hand to her forehead. This night couldn't get any worse.

Except that, of course, it could. One moment, she was opening her eyes again to see Klaus approaching her slowly, purposefully, and the next, his hands were on the sides of her face and he was pulling her into him.

When her lips touched his, she felt shocked.

It wasn't like the first time she kissed him. It was—and it wasn't. This time, his lips felt so familiar instead of so foreign. They felt wonderful as they sparked on hers, as his tongue glided out over her bottom lip. She moaned as he pressed into her more, pushing her back into the brick of the building, getting closer and closer, as close as he could get. He planted his hands on her waist, holding her firmly until he realized that she was actually kissing him back. Then it grew more passionate, more feverish as he dominated her, only allowing her to breathe when he felt like it, when he felt her chest move with the need. Then, he did exactly as he planned. He bit his own tongue, making it bleed, and slid it out over her lip again. She tasted something sweet—something completely new and almost ethereal—before she shoved him away, coming to her senses. She reigned in her darkness, the side that wanted Klaus so bad. She reigned it all in and tucked it away as best as she could, angry with herself. That shouldn't have happened. Not again—not when it'd just happened the night before!

She rounded to yell at him again when she suddenly realized that the side of her face didn't hurt anymore. Blinking in confusion, she put a hand on her cheek. It felt normal—as if nothing had happened to it. AJ looked back at Klaus, seeing his impassive eyes as he slowly stepped away from her.

"Klaus—"

He held up an elegant hand. "Consider it a part of my apology." Without any more words, he was gone, a thing sunk into the night, vanished.

AJ was left wondering what the hell just happened, and who would be paying for his bloody steak.

**Please **_**please**_** give a review! I'm not certain what you think of this chapter, so let me know!**


	62. Chapter 62

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

**A/N: I have to admit, it's so easy to love Klaus's character in the new season. (-; Butttt, I've had a lack of reviews! I can't tell if you like my direction or not. **

**Chapter Sixty-Two**

Once AJ had gathered her bearings, she returned to the Grille. On barely-steady legs, she found her way back to the booth Elijah and her parents were still sitting at. The food they'd ordered had come, and AJ's and Klaus's were both sitting on the table, untouched. Before making her presence known—she was pretty sure Elijah already knew she was there—she looked at her parents. They seemed… somehow different. Happier, even. Her brows furrowed together. That was odd.

"Hey guys, sorry about that," AJ said sheepishly, sliding in with Elijah again. Their gazes met, and she wasn't sure what he'd see in hers. But he seemed happier, too. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, nothing much," Laura said with a secretive smile, "Just the arrival of the food. Where is Klaus?"

"He said to tell you sorry, he had to leave. Something came up, I guess," AJ said easily. Elijah relaxed beside her.

Laura frowned. "Well, that's too bad. But we will see him again, won't we?"

Elijah tensed again, only slightly. "My brother tends to come and go," he explained, "So I wouldn't promise anything."

Robert nodded understandingly. AJ tensed now. What was up with that? Since when was her father understanding towards the guys in her life?

"Is he also a writer?" Robert asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"No," Elijah said, "He doesn't really have an interest in the things I do."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "So you two aren't very close? Actually, I do wonder why he has an accent."

"Ah," Elijah said with a slight smile, expecting this, "Yes. We grew up . . . apart. He lived in London for some time, and I lived in the States."

"Ooh," Laura said, "I see." It seemed she knew better than to press further.

AJ looked between everyone suspiciously, biting her lip. Finally she blurted, "Okay, what happened when I was gone? You all seem . . . different." She froze, and then glared at her father. "I swear to God Dad, if you said _anything_—"

Robert held his palms in the air, giving his daughter an innocent look. "Why me?"

AJ's glare hardened. "Because I get the ability to change from being scarily threatening one second to being all sweet and kind the next from _you_. _That's_ why."

Laura smiled. "She _is_ right, you know. Remember that time you told her that the only way to deal with a bully was to dish out the same things she did to her? That poor girl ended up with a broken nose, and AJ got out of being suspended for a week because her teacher had said 'she was far too sweet to have done anything in the few minutes I turned my back on them.'" Laura laughed lightly. "What was that, third grade?"

Elijah raised an eyebrow, regarding AJ. "You beat up little girls?"

AJ frowned. "I _was_ a little girl. And I was given some very poor advice. To this day, she holds that over me. _Anyway_," she stressed the word, glaring at her father once more. "What did you say to him?"

"AJ," Elijah said, looking amused, "You have no reason to be so suspicious. He didn't say anything."

AJ raised her eyebrows. "Really? Was it that bad that he even got you to agree to lie for him? Wow," she said to her father now, "You've really reached a new personal best. Don't think I've forgotten the way you sent Brent running. Literally. He was on the track team, and I still hadn't seen him run that fast before."

"Brent?" Elijah inquired. "Yet another boy that tried to steal your heart? I do wonder if I should be worried about all this, love. You're worth fighting for. Anyone could see that."

What if they all decide to come back?"

AJ snorted unladylike. "I think we all know the answer to that." She made one of her fingers a knife and slashed it slowly over her throat.

Laura gave her a reproachful look. "It's too soon to joke about something as serious as murder, AJ, especially since it was Lucas."

AJ kept impassive. "I suppose you're right."

A sad silence passed over them as they continued to eat, hovering for a few minutes. AJ felt the need to say _something_ that'd make up for being the conversation-killer. Ooh. Another bad joke. She cleared her throat and picked at her food with her fork to have a place to look, other than her parents' eyes.

"So," she said with enough curiosity to catch her parent's attention, "How long are you guys staying, again?"

Robert sighed heavily. "How long do you _want_ us to stay?"

Laura waved a hand in the air, dismissing his question. "Robert, that's not how it works. We're staying as long as we can, sweetie." She smiled at AJ.

AJ frowned. "Exactly how long is 'as long as we can?'"

Laura narrowed her eyes, but still smiled. "We just want to catch up again. I swear we won't intrude on any of your time," she said, nodding at her and Elijah.

Robert laughed. "She actually means—at least _I_ do—that we'll be staying long enough to keep an eye on the two of you. So expect intruding. A lot of it."

"I knew it!" AJ announced, frowning at Elijah. "He _did_ threaten you." She turned back to her father. "What did you say to him?"

Robert's mouth tightened into a line. "I only said that you two better not be sleeping together. AJ, I swear. If you _are_, I'll kill the both of you."

AJ rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. You also said something about no second base until I'm what? Thirty?"

Robert smiled mischievously. "Actually it was twenty-five. But thirty sounds better to me."

AJ shook her head slowly. "It's scary that you even know what second base is."

"It's scary that my eighteen year old daughter seems perfectly comfortable talking about things relating to sex," Robert countered, crossing his arms. His eyes flicked to Elijah, who was trying to fight a smile, and then centered on AJ once more. "So tell me, then. Are you a virgin?"

AJ's eyes bugged out. "Dad! You—you can't just ask that! Not _here_! Not in front of Elijah!"

Robert shrugged. "I think it's a perfectly reasonable question."

Laura looked at him disapprovingly. "She's right, you know. There's a code for that."

"Yes," AJ said crisply, "It's called the What-Parents-Should-Never-Know-About-Their-Children code. Since you broke it, I could tell you several interesting facts about Ben, if you like."

Laura bit her lip, her brows pulled together in fear. "No thank you," she said quickly, "I'd much rather not know."

"I'd still like you to answer my question," Robert said, unfazed.

AJ raised an eyebrow, glaring at her father once more, but spoke to Elijah. "Elijah, where are those knives you confiscated earlier? I'm feeling like it's 'perfectly reasonable' to get some use out of them—"

"AJ," Laura warned, "You better be joking about weapons. You know I don't feel comfortable with you carrying them."

AJ blinked at her mother. "But _I_ feel comfortable carrying them."

"That's not the point."

"How exactly would he have confiscated them from you?" Robert asked bluntly. "I hear of some pretty kinky things, but—"

Just in time, the check arrived. Elijah took it, and earned even more points with her parents. They were thoroughly impressed, even if Robert hadn't finished what he was about to say. It seemed to quiet him, once more. With their meals finished, they all slid out of the booth.

"I guess we'll call it a night," Robert said, "It was very nice meeting you, Elijah."

"Yes," Laura added, beaming, "It really was a pleasure."

Elijah smiled and nodded at them. "As it was for me, as well."

"Drive safely, you two. I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow," Robert said in his gruff, fatherly tone. "And I was very serious about second base. Just to make that clear."

AJ rolled her eyes before hugging her parents' goodbye. She watched them leave, biting her lip. So many thoughts were flying through her head, and she had trouble sorting them out. Elijah took her hand and led her out the door. It was dark out. The moon hung high in the sky, sending a shiver down AJ's spine. She knew the full moon would be coming soon. Too soon. She focused on Elijah's warm hand as they walked. When they neared his car, he stopped before opening her side door.

"What is it?" she asked, looking up at him with worry.

Elijah frowned. "How did you get Klaus to leave? What did you have to give for him to go?"

AJ's face fell, mirroring his. She shook her head and looked off to the side. "You don't need to know, Elijah."

Elijah tensed. "Since when don't I need to know? I thought you were going to start telling me everything. No more secrets—right?"

AJ sighed. She buried her face in her hands, breathing in and out. "You'll be very angry," she stated matter-of-factly, not raising her head.

Elijah's eyes bored down at her, intent. "I will not be angry with you. You know this—love, we've been over this."

Her shoulders fell noticeably. "It's not me I thought you'd be angry with."

"AJ," Elijah said cautiously, "What's happened now? What did he do? Please—look at me."

AJ removed her hands and raised her eyes slowly. She knew, of course, that had Klaus not healed her, it would have hurt to have even touched her face. But it felt normal. Perfectly, incredibly, and terribly normal. "He hit me," she said quietly, keeping steady contact with Elijah's eyes.

Elijah's teeth ground together. He clenched his fists until both his hands were completely white. "Where? Why? I swear, the next time I see him—"

"Stop," AJ said wearily, "Just stop, okay? He hit me—yes. But let me tell you everything else. He didn't mean to. I made him mad or something, but he didn't mean to do it. I could tell. And… he hit me here," she indicated the side of her face reluctantly.

Elijah blinked at her with confusion. "But with our strength—there should at the very _least_ be a bruise. I don't see one."

AJ frowned slightly. "Yes… because he healed me, too."

Elijah stood very still. For AJ, it was unnerving. She knew vampires could do that—they could be as still as statues. But she'd never seen Elijah quite so menacing, when he was only looking at her impassively.

"So you drank his blood, then."

AJ shook her head, making his eyebrows pull together once more. "Not intentionally, Elijah. He—well he kissed me. And he bit his lip so that I'd heal. He said to consider it apart of his apology…"

Elijah nodded slowly, turning. He looked down the street blankly, unblinking. AJ moved to stand in front of him, worried. Was this the way things were always going to be for them?

"Elijah," she began quietly, "Tell me what you're thinking." He didn't move. Not even a millimeter. But she knew he could hear her perfectly well. "Please?"

His eyes flicked down to her so suddenly that it was startling. They had a sort of fire in them, a spark she wasn't used to seeing. Anger? Hatred? A combination of the two?

"When he kissed you," he said sharply, "Was it _you_ he was kissing? This part of you?"

AJ looked at Elijah blankly. "I don't know. Why?"

"It's very important," he said, reaching out and cupping her face in his hands gently. "Think. Was it you, the _good_ part of you? Or was it the other part?"

AJ blinked in confusion. She searched Elijah's eyes for a reason—why would he ask her such a thing? But she only saw a sort of desperate need in place. With reluctance, she closed her eyes and thought back to just a half hour ago, back in the alley. Klaus's warm body pressed into hers, his electric lips kissing her passionately, and the sweet taste of his blood. The need she felt, whenever he was around. She could feel it again. Her eyes snapped open in horror, realization dawning on her. "No," she shook her head frantically, her eyes unfocused and wide. "No that isn't possible. That—that _can't_ happen."

Elijah brushed the side of her cheeks comfortingly, nodding his head to himself. He'd known. He'd known it. The moment she'd slid back into the booth, he'd felt that something was wrong. It was off. And it was.

Tears were forming in AJ's eyes. She looked up at Elijah, struggling to find words. "Tell me it can't happen, Elijah," she sobbed now. "Tell me it can't."

Elijah looked at her sadly. Gently, he pulled her close, holding her to his chest. He could feel her shake with silent sobs. "AJ," he said softly into her ear, "Don't be upset. We'll figure something out, okay? I knew it could happen. When two oppressing sides exist like that—one either has to give, or they have to… come to terms with each other." She shook harder, and the tears fell like streams. His words couldn't be true. They couldn't be. He stroked her hair, closing his eyes. It always broke his heart to see her so miserable, so loathing of herself. Her arms weren't wrapped around him—she was digging her nails into her own skin, trying to bleed. He pulled her hands apart and held onto them.

"AJ," he said in a strained tone, "Don't do this to yourself. We'll get through it. We'll find a way. I promise you."

O O O

Standing atop a building, Klaus looked down on them, his face void of any sort of emotion, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. She was very abstract, indeed. The tears falling down her face sparkled in the moonlight. They were enticing. It was a strange feeling.

His brother was telling her not to worry, that they'd talk to a witch about a spell. A witch? They replaced the other one—Bonnie, wasn't it? Even stranger. He hadn't anticipated it to be so easy for Elena and AJ to put another in place of their friend. But they couldn't have very much power. Not enough to hurt him. And as a whole, they definitely couldn't. Not with the key player—the Warrior—being in such a state.

He tensed when Elijah kissed the top of her head. Her hair was silky and thick. He remembered the feel of it. But what did it smell like? What would it be like, to hold her in that way? _How_ could he hold her in that way, or even think of doing it? He'd never comforted anything before. The only thing that he ever held that could be considered precious was all sorts of treasures, precious gems, and the like. None of those things were remotely as precious as that arcane girl down there. And it seemed his brother knew it very well.

But Elijah _would_ know such a thing. He'd never been quite as strong as Klaus. He'd never had the sort of resistance or self-restraint that Klaus knew as a second nature. Elijah had always held humanity within him, even if he hadn't known it. But Klaus had. And it was what destroyed Elijah—not being able to let the humanity go. He looked upon his brother with an odd mix of distaste and curiosity. How did one allow themselves to be seen so _caring_? So gentle and _kind?_ How did he not feel weakened by her, by what she made him to be? It was completely beyond Klaus. Perhaps the thing that puzzled him the most was that Elijah actually seemed to love her. As if he had a heart he could love with.

Another thing that confused him: she'd _defended_ him when she told Elijah that he'd hit her. What was the point in that? Why _not_ make Elijah angry? Anger added to power. It also added to stupidity, but Klaus wouldn't mind seeing his brother make a mistake. But Elijah had made a mistake the moment he let the girl see his 'love' for her. Perhaps Elijah was playing his own angle. Perhaps he was using her. It would be logical, at least. But it wouldn't be fair. Not to her.

Klaus found himself in a quandary. What did he care that it wasn't fair to her? Why did he have to care? But he knew there was something about the girl. It was enticing, addictive even. He couldn't place the exact word he wanted on it. It escaped him, every time. But she was so very different than anyone he'd ever met. So kind, and yet bold. So brave, and yet reckless.

A finger in his right hand twitched at the memory of hitting her. The way she'd looked at him afterwards—it shocked him. The whole ordeal had. And it reminded him of that lowlife ex-boyfriend of hers. He'd bled him dry, making him feel as much pain as possible. He would have ripped his heart out, only he'd known better. She wouldn't have liked that. But he wasn't sorry that the kid was dead. He was far from it. Elijah hadn't had the forthright to do it. He should have. If he truly loved her, he would have.

Elijah was brushing away the rest of her tears, now. It seemed he'd managed to cheer her up. She wrapped her arms around Elijah and closed her eyes, seeming completely content with the moment. Klaus barely heard her whisper her love to Elijah. His brother returned the words to her, softly.

Could the immoral whisper love to another? He didn't know. Could they love, truly? Probably not. Could they hold soft, precious things without breaking them, shattering them, cracking their beauty so terribly that they were broken beyond repair? He looked down at his palms and frowned.

**Please review and tell me what you think! It's always very appreciated!(-:**


	63. Chapter 63

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

**Chapter Sixty-Three**

"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Elijah asked coolly as he stepped onto the back patio. It was well into the night, around three a.m. A waxing gibbous hung in the sky, spilling a pool of grey light onto the property. It would grow to a full moon soon. Very soon.

At the edge of the patio, facing towards the back property, stood Klaus. He was very still, his posture flawlessly straight. His chin was propped up with one hand and his other arm rested over his chest as he studied the darkness. In the light of the moon, his fair hair glowed bright with a sort of sharp edge to it. He turned only his head to glance at his brother, raising an eyebrow.

"Took you long enough," he said peevishly, without preamble. "I'm sure you could have left her to sleep on her own, you know. But no," Klaus taunted with a smirk, "It has to be '_love_, all will be fine' this and '_love_, I'll be right here' that. You've grown so very _weak_, brother."

Elijah clenched his fists together to keep from lashing out, like he wanted to. He'd heard Klaus arrive near one, but he hadn't gone to meet him. AJ had only just fallen asleep after fitfully tossing and turning in his arms. He'd tried to comfort her as much as he could, but nothing seemed to work. She'd only tired herself out. His face remained impassive, now, as he moved to stand several feet away from Klaus.

"Is that why you came, then? To tell me I'm weak? So it has nothing to do with AJ, I presume." Elijah's tone said he assumed anything _but_ that. He met his brother's piercing eyes steadily. But he didn't see his brother—he saw the thing that took his family away; the thing that was now trying to take his AJ away.

Klaus raised his eyebrows, amused. "And why would you even insinuate such a thing? Oh—that's right. Because your lovely little Warrior was unfaithful, now wasn't she? Tsk tsk. You should keep a better eye on her."

Elijah's eyes grew dark. "She was not unfaithful. That's one thing I'm very aware of." Elijah turned so that he no longer had to look at Klaus. His eyes scanned the edges of the property, and a smirk grew on his face. "Another thing I'm aware of is the way you regard her. You're a hypocrite to say I'm weak for caring for her."

Klaus had Elijah pinned against the house wall by the neck in a millisecond. His eyes were blazing with fire. "Do not test me, brother."

Elijah showed no sign of pain, nor made any move to look anything but completely at ease. His smirk grew more. "You can deny it. I'm sure that's what you've been doing since you met her. But you and I both know that there's something very different about her, something enticing. When will you admit it to yourself?"

Klaus's grip tightened on Elijah's throat, who grunted because of it. Klaus narrowed his eyes but tried to reign in his anger. "As I said, you should not test me, brother. I will not stand to listen to your nonsense, and I'm sure things could go much more smoothly if I just kill you now. But I only came to give you a warning."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "You've found another of her ex boyfriends to pin a note on? I'm surprised you even went out of your way for Lucas. Tell me, which was this boy, and what was it he did to her to piss you off?"

Klaus laughed darkly. He smiled at Elijah disarmingly. "Enjoy the time you have left with your precious Warrior, brother. But should you stand in my way during the sacrifice, there will be nothing left of her to enjoy. And you will join the rest of our family and their oblivion. Have I made myself clear enough, or must I go into detail?"

Elijah's mouth tightened. "You won't harm her."

Klaus smirked. His eyes flicked up to the window he knew to be in their bedroom, flashing with goading. "Would you really like to test that? She hasn't committed herself to helping me yet. It's not as if I have anything to lose by killing her, tonight."

Elijah glared at Klaus, searching his dark eyes for a bluff. "You've made yourself clear. You can leave now."

Klaus released Elijah, still smirking as he backed away. "You're pitiful to look at. Do you know that, brother? Once, you'd been so ruthless, so feared, so _strong._ And now I don't even know what you are."

Elijah opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.

"I know what he is," AJ said from the doorway. She stood in only short-shorts and a tank top—which she'd immediately regretted upon realizing that Elijah wasn't alone. Her arms were crossed over her chest to keep the cold from getting to her, and she was staring at Klaus with an icy intensity. "He's noble and gentle, and kind and thoughtful. He _is_ strong—so much stronger than you could ever be, Klaus. He's _everything_ you could never be. And I pity _you_ for that."

Klaus stared at AJ, his face completely void of emotion. His eyes weren't even looking her up and down in the way he normally would do, just to unnerve her and piss off Elijah. He simply stared at her for a few moments, and then shook his head slowly. "Soon," he said detachedly, "You will see that your words are very wrong." And then he was gone.

AJ stared at the spot Klaus had occupied only seconds ago, completely nonplussed. Leaves rustled in the trees around the property in a slight breeze, making her shiver. Elijah went to her immediately, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"You should not have come down, AJ. When did you wake?"

AJ cast her eyes to the ground. "Only a few minutes ago. When you weren't there, I came to find you—and I found you and _him_."

Elijah shook his head, frowning. "I'm sorry you had to. Love, you should have—"

"Elijah," AJ said suddenly, meeting his eyes with intensity. "Klaus doesn't matter right now. I don't care that he was here—that you didn't want me to know. I sort of expected it, anyway. But there's something I have to ask you. It's why I woke up, really—a dream."

Elijah looked down at her, baffled. "You know you can ask me anything."

AJ's shoulders drooped, but her look wasn't any less intense. "Maybe not anything. You don't like it when I ask about this."

He tensed with realization. "You want to know something about the other Warriors, again."

She nodded.

Elijah's mouth tightened into a thin line. He put his arm around her, and then pulled her inside where it was warm. She walked over to the couch and sat down, waiting for him to join her. The glass doors from the patio and the windows let in enough moonlight for them to see each other in perfect grey shades. AJ pulled her legs up to her chest and looked at him reluctantly.

"I want to know why there've been so many Warriors, and yet so little doppelgangers. I thought they were supposed to be balance—one Warrior, one doppelganger. But I only realized tonight that that's not the way it's been."

Elijah rubbed at his eyes wearily. "Some think that it's something the original witches who cursed Klaus added in to the cycle of things as a trick, to make him believe that a doppelganger had raised. It would surely keep him busy for several years. Others think that the birth of someone in the Petrova bloodline spurred the creation of a Warrior. These are only theories, though."

AJ looked at him steadily. "So now that you've told me the _theories_," she said, "I want to know what _you_ know."

Elijah frowned and looked away from her. "AJ, we've been through this before. There are just some things you shouldn't know."

AJ held her head up defiantly. "We promised not to keep secrets from each other anymore, Elijah. It seems to be something we have to keep reminding ourselves. This is something I want to know. And even more importantly—I _need_ to know. How am I supposed to stop Klaus? Whenever I think of that—or that you both call me the 'Warrior'—I see fighting. I see people who have the strength to stop something. And even more damaging to my femininity—I see actual warriors in some serious armor with some serious looking weapons. But that's not me. So how the hell am I supposed to do anything on the night of the full moon? It's coming up, Elijah. In days. "

Elijah didn't meet her eyes. "You're not supposed to do anything."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "That doesn't make sense. When you first came here, you told me I was the only one who could stop Klaus. So I have to have _some_ sort of ability to do that."

Elijah shook his head, looking ruefully down at the hardwood floor. "I mean you are not supposed to do anything because you won't be there."

AJ stared at him blankly in silence for a few moments. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly with a harsh tone, "Come again? I _really_ don't think I heard you correctly because I know you wouldn't do anything to screw up the chances of killing _Klaus_."

Elijah heaved a sigh and reluctantly met her eyes. "It will not ruin the plan, AJ. It will make things less complicated. In fact, you aren't _in_ the plan. You'll be away."

AJ tried to keep a hold on her temper. She clenched her hands into fists, breathing in and out. "When I was away from the table—when you were left alone with my parents—you told them I was going back with them, didn't you? That was why they were so happy?"

Elijah reached out to touch her hand, but she yanked it back. He frowned. "AJ," he said wretchedly, "I swear it's for your own good. There isn't anything you can do with Klaus—you must leave it to Bonnie's powers and my strength. We _will_ kill him. But I don't want you here for that. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't get hurt!" she crossed her arms and regarded him with a feeling of betrayal. "I _can_ help, Elijah! I want to be there—I want to be there for my friends!"

Elijah looked at his hands sadly. "There's a possibility that you could get hurt physically, AJ. There's also a possibility that you could get hurt . . . emotionally."

AJ looked at him with shock, her mouth gaping open. "_What?_ You think—you think that I'll be _upset_ over Klaus's death?"

"Is it really such a surprise to think that? I'm not saying that I'm upset about it. I accept it. But after last night—yes, I _do_ think you'll be upset," Elijah said reasonably.

AJ turned away from him, her arms still crossed firmly over her chest. She stared at the coffee table in front of her pensively. Elijah watched her scrupulously, intent to ever minute move she made.

Finally she spoke slowly, not taking her eyes off the coffee table. "You say you accept it. What is it you accept?"

Elijah moved closer to her, resting a hand over hers. She didn't pull away. "I accept that part of you cares for him. I know you can't help it—I can _see_ it."

AJ shook her head, closing her eyes. "But I don't accept it," she said in a strained voice. "I don't at all. It's not right, Elijah. It's not something you should have to deal with." She turned to him, searching his eyes. "I love you, do you know that? He can't change that. Not ever—_nothing_ could change the way I feel about you."

Elijah smiled and brought a hand up to cup her face. "Yes," he said quietly, "I know that. And nothing could change the way I feel for you, either. We'll get through this, love. It's just a matter of getting the sacrifice over with. You understand why you can't be there, don't you?"

AJ leaned into his touch, relishing the comfort and security it brought her. "No," she said honestly. "I don't understand why I can't be there. I get that you want to keep me safe, but sending me with my parents isn't the way to do that. Elijah—there are still so many things you don't know about where I come from."

Elijah's eyebrows pulled together with puzzlement. "From what I know, you had an abusive boyfriend. You left your parents on bad terms and came here. You used to run away—a lot. But this _is_ all I know. What else is there?"

AJ shook her head. "Nothing important. Not tonight. But I'm asking you not to send me with them Elijah. I don't think I could take it."

Elijah's expression didn't change. He brushed her cheek gently. "I really do think it's what's best. Being here around Klaus—it's too dangerous. I will not let anything happen to you. This is the way I can ensure that."

AJ sighed lightly. Her thoughts were reeling in an entirely different place than Elijah's living room, but she finally nodded her head. "If this is what you want," she said quietly, taking his other hand, "then fine."

Elijah leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Thank you," he whispered. "It's extremely relieving to know that you'll be out of harm's way."

Before he could pull away, AJ tilted her head up and placed her lips on his. It'd only been days since they last had a few moments to themselves, but it felt like an eternity. She pulled back just a little bit. "Everything's been so chaotic lately," she said sadly, "We haven't had time for just us. I don't want to have to go through all this for it to be too late—"she stopped, closing her eyes. Tears stung behind them, but she wouldn't let them fall. She was tired of crying, and she didn't want him to see her like that. Not now.

Elijah stoked her cheek tenderly, but waited for her to recover. She opened her eyes and studied his liquid brown ones. "If I could stay forever in a moment, Elijah," she whispered because something between them seemed so fragile right then, "I'd stay right here. Here with you—that's all I want."

Elijah bent down and rested his forehead against hers. The warm whisper of his breath tingled her lips. "And if I could make that happen, I would. I would do anything for you."

She smiled and kissed him again, gently pressing her lips onto his. She kissed him softly at first; tasting the sweetness that she could only ever know as the way his lips melted onto her own perfectly. Then he carefully pushed her back onto the couch more, settling in between her legs as he made the kiss more passionate. AJ moaned softly and bit lightly at his bottom lip. The weight of his body on hers was exhilarating, sending her heart pumping wildly. He ran a hand over the top of her cheekbone, down her face and neck, and whispered it along her side until it rested firmly on her hip. AJ raked her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer. Every part of them was touching, the only barrier being the fabric of their clothes.

Realizing this problem, AJ didn't break the kiss as she found the button of his dress shirt. Her fingers flicked down it almost expertly as she freed each one. Elijah moved to kiss down to her neck, sucking on the sensitive skin there. She gasped in pleasure as she shoved his shirt off, and with his help, it landed on the floor. Her hands met the smooth skin of his chiseled chest, running down it slowly until she found the buckle on his belt. Elijah let out a low feral growl, making her heart race even more. Before she could unbuckle it, Elijah removed her hands and placed his own at the hem of her tank top. He ran his fingers over her flat stomach, suffusing butterflies throughout it. In one fluid movement, he pulled her tank up over her head and tossed it with his dress shirt. Never had she let a man see her completely exposed before, but she wasn't nervous. She trusted him—she _more_ than trusted him. Elijah moaned at the sight of her breasts, and then began kissing her collarbone, slowly making his way down. All the while, it sent euphoric shivers down her spine. She dug her nails into his arms, relishing the sensation.

Reaching for his belt buckle once more, she suddenly gasped in surprise when she realized he'd picked her up and they were moving. They stopped, and she was on the covers of their bed as he pulled himself over her again. Then he began sucking on one of her hardened nipples, making her gasp more. His hands hovered on the waistline of her shorts, tugging at them softly.

AJ was about to take them off herself when she noticed a moment later they were no longer there, and only her panties remained. She placed her lips on the side of his neck, nipping and sucking it until he moaned. He pressed himself closer to her, and through the little fabric they had left, she could feel how hard he was. Her hands went to his buckle again, finally achieving undoing it. She tugged at his dress pants, telling him without words to remove them. A moment later, her panties were the only thing keeping them apart. She moved to slide them off without any hesitation, but Elijah's firm hands stopped her.

"No," he whispered in her ear as he ran a hand down over her nearly completely bare body, "I don't want this to happen when everything else is a mess. I want you to be happy—completely happy."

"But I _am_ completely happy," she pouted, tugging at his pants again. She sucked on his neck, nipping at it with her teeth.

He moaned, shivering. But he shook his head. "You are too special, love. I want Klaus to be dead first—I want you to be free."

AJ pulled back to look at him. He wanted her to be free of any emotion she had for Klaus before they went through with it. She searched his eyes, seeing complete wanting burn in them, but respect and nobility, too. She nodded slowly. "You're right. I want to be free."

He closed his eyes again, finding her lips naturally. "You will be. Soon, you will be."

**A/N: Things are going to get crazy soon. I also want to move into the third season, because I have some great ideas I want to write down. Please give me a review and let me know what you think!**


	64. Chapter 64

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

** A/N: Just a little something necessary. . . And just so everyone knows, I plan on making season three a whole new story. So a sequel, pretty much. **

**Chapter Sixty-Four**

"AJ!" Elena exclaimed with a grin, pulling AJ in for a tight hug. "We need to stop being so busy with everything and just hang out one of these days."

AJ laughed, pulling away from Elena. "Yeah, we could totally hang out and carve up some stakes, stock up on vervain, maybe practice killing a vampire or two. You know, since that's basically what our lives consist of, now."

Elena rolled her eyes, laughing. Suddenly they landed on a dark spot on AJ's neck, and she smirked. "Apparently that's not _all_ our lives consist of. What's _that_?"

AJ blushed, but made no move to cover it up. "Nothing," she shrugged. Elena raised a suggestive eyebrow, now making AJ roll her eyes. "Nothing but _fun_," AJ amended with a laugh. "What, do you expect me to live with him but stay hands off all the time?"

At this remark, the others regarded Elena and AJ with puzzled looks. Damon looked almost angry. He set the glass he'd been drinking out of on the coffee table in front of him, his mouth tight. They were all sitting in around in Stefan and Damon's living room—Alaric, Damon, Elena, and AJ— where they decided to meet up. They were waiting for Elijah, who'd gone out to talk to Stefan alone. AJ knew something was up, but she hadn't questioned him. Yet.

"So," Damon said, sounding none too happy, "The full moon is coming soon—in _three _days—and you two are spending your time going at each other? Does the word _'sacrifice'_ not ring a bell, AJ?"

AJ frowned at him. "Don't be like that Damon. You know I want to do as much as I can—"

"Then why don't you start by telling us _exactly_ what Elijah is planning?" Damon said, narrowing his eyes.

AJ sighed. "It's not like _I_ even know what he's planning. He'll probably tell you before he tells me."

Damon raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "That's almost funny. Now seriously, what is he planning? What's he telling Stefan, right now?"

"Would you back off, Damon?" Elena said, glaring at him. "If she says she doesn't know, then she doesn't know. There's enough stress already—don't add to it."

Damon clamped his mouth shut, looking remorseful. AJ looked around the room, finally detecting the underlying tension present. Alaric looked to be a mixture of slight annoyance and extreme discomfort. He seemed to be deep in thought about something. Damon was tense from head to toe, and Elena was fidgeting with worry.

"I'm sorry," she suddenly said to Elena, feeling wretched. "Damon was right—I shouldn't be spending so much time with Elijah. I should have been here more." She buried her face in her hands. "God, I'm so selfish. You're my best friend, and I haven't been here for you."

Elena placed a hand on AJ's shoulder. "I would have asked you to be here if it was that bad. You know you shouldn't feel bad, AJ—I've been trying to spend as much time feeling normal as I possibly can. I get why you haven't been here much. It's really not a big deal—it's not like _you_ don't have anything to worry about."

AJ shook her head, frowning. "My problems are irrelevant. I'm not the one who he's supposed to . . . you know."

"No," Elena said seriously, "You aren't. But you _are_ the one who can stop it. AJ you're my best friend—I trust you with my life."

AJ frowned deeper, looking away. She couldn't tell Elena that Elijah wanted to send her away. She absolutely couldn't.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, suddenly alert to the shift in AJ's thoughts.

AJ looked at her hands. "I don't even know how I'm supposed to stop him. I mean, there has to be something different about me, doesn't there? Like strength or something? Because I don't get how I can stop him just by . . . well, being me."

Elena smiled small. "I've seen you do some pretty crazy things. I really wouldn't doubt it if you could stop him by just being you."

"But," Damon spoke up, "She probably can't. No human could possibly go against an Original. Has Elijah told you anything? Is there a ritual or spell of some sort that only works on a Warrior?"

"He hasn't told me anything, so I don't know. That'd be my first guess, though."

Damon looked at her, baffled. "He hasn't told you anything? Not one thing about what you are?"

AJ sighed. "No, he hasn't. I don't know what he's bothered by, but he doesn't want me to know something. At least, that's the feeling I get." She looked around the room again, suddenly realizing something. "Where's Caroline? I thought she'd be here?"

Elena shrugged. "Last I heard from her, she was going to see Matt."

"Matt?" AJ's eyebrows pulled together. "So they're seeing each other again? I'm so out of the loop."

Elena regarded AJ, very solemn. "There's something else you should know."

AJ's expression mirrored Elena's. "Okay."

"It's Jenna. She—well, she knows. Everything's been so chaotic—and now she knows."

"She knows? You mean, about vampires and Klaus?" AJ asked, completely perplexed.

Elena nodded solemnly. Alaric looked the same.

"Well, how did she take it? Is she okay?"

"She isn't happy," Elena said, "And she has every right not to be. I should have told her sooner—I just thought it was best for her not to know."

AJ nodded sympathetically. "We all did. And we were all surprised in the beginning—it took time. It'll take time for her to accept it, too."

Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're right. I just wish I would've told her sooner, before all this. We're just so short on time."

"I think everything will turn out just fine," AJ said reassuringly. "We have Bonnie, and Klaus doesn't know about that. And she has her ancestors' powers. And then we have Elijah, even though Klaus _does_ know about that…"

"Wait," Elena said suddenly intent, "What?"

Damon was glaring. "Klaus knows that Elijah's here, and you didn't bother to tell us this?"

AJ looked down guiltily. "Everything _has_ been chaotic. I just—I forgot to tell you guys. But it's not a big deal. Klaus will be blindsided by Bonnie—that's what's important."

"I think it's pretty important that Klaus knows about Elijah. _He_ was supposed to blindside Klaus, too," Damon said through clenched teeth.

AJ shrugged ruefully. "I don't think it'll have any major effect on anything."

"Of course you wouldn't," he said venomously, "You've got a thing for both of them, and that's screwing with your head."

AJ's eyes bugged out at Damon and her mouth gaped open. "W—_what?_ Damon—why would you say that?"

"Because I remember having to pick you up the other night, and I remember what you told me. So tell me, AJ, is it _really_ safe to trust you? I'm starting to have my doubts." Damon fixed an icy stare at her.

AJ closed her mouth, shaking her head. "And here I thought we were friends. Damon—you know you can trust me. What happened with Klaus was _his_ fault, not mine. I told Elijah everything, and he knows that, too. So go ahead and act like _I'm_ the bad guy, but don't forget the facts."

"What are you guys talking about?" Alaric asked, having finally tuned back in to the situation. He and Elena exchanged looks of confusion.

AJ, still staring down Damon, filled them in about what had happened when Klaus wanted to meet with her.

Elena was the most shocked. "Oh my God," she said slowly, "That—that is so messed up. Is he just trying to play with you? Remember how he likes games. He dedicated a song to me at the seventies dance."

AJ forced herself to nod. "Yeah, I remember."

"I'm so sorry you have to go through all this, AJ," Elena said. "Everyone I love is being pushed around by this—it's not fair to_ any_ of you."

"Elena," AJ said briskly, "Shut up. You can't act like this is your fault, because it's not. Not even a little bit. Tell me, when you were born did you _choose_ to be a Petrova doppelganger?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "No."

"Then you see," AJ said calmly, "that it couldn't possibly be your fault. Besides, do you think I'd rather live in a world where my best friend _wasn't_ some supernatural freak? Because I'm one, too. And your boyfriends a vampire, and so is his brother, and now one of our other best friends is, and Tyler's a werewolf, and Bonnie's a witch. So everything's balanced because we're all freaks."

"And the funniest thing about that little speech," Elena said with a small smirk, "Is that you actually mean it."

"Exactly. No more moping around. We're going to kick Klaus's ass, and then we're all going to go out for drinks. How's that sound?"

Elena laughed lightly. "It sounds great, but also very unlikely."

AJ frowned. "You lost that fake I.D. I gave you?"

"No," Elena shook her head, "It's not that. It's just—well, something always seems to go wrong."

AJ pressed her lips together and shifted in her seat. Something about Elena saying that made her feel uncomfortable. "Says the pessimist," AJ tried to joke. A silence passed over the room, tinged with a sort of anxious feeling. AJ's thoughts kept returning to the fact that the sacrifice was in a mere three days. She was certain that everyone else was thinking the same.

Stefan and Elijah chose that moment to enter the living room. Stefan immediately moved to stand by Elena, as they always seemed to have some sort of magnetic pull to each other. Elijah walked in with his hands in his pockets, standing straight up. He was impassive as his eyes looked over the others in the room.

"Have a nice chat, you two?" Damon asked with a disarming smile.

Elijah looked at him plainly. "If you have something to ask, I suggest doing just that. I tire of your fatuous comments, Damon."

AJ frowned between Elijah and Damon. She didn't think they'd ever come to like each other very much.

"Fine," Damon said seriously, "What's going on? Why are you here?"

Elijah shrugged. "AJ wanted to see Elena. I had to speak to Stefan, anyway."

"About what, exactly?"

"Damon," Stefan said firmly, "It can wait until later." He gave his brother a pointed look.

"Really?" Damon said sardonically. "Are you sure? Because last time I checked, we don't really have a lot of time."

"There's time to discuss this _later_," Stefan said again.

Damon snorted. He opened his mouth to speak, but Elena cut him off.

"What's going on?" she asked curiously. "It's not like there's anyone here who shouldn't be. So what's up?"

Stefan frowned, looking at AJ and then Elijah. AJ suddenly realized what they'd been speaking about, and a heavy feeling of guilt settled on her shoulders.

"AJ will be leaving tomorrow," Elijah spoke up calmly, meeting AJ's eyes. "She must go home with her parents."

Elena's eyebrows pulled together with worry. She looked at AJ. "What? Why? I thought that you'd be there to help…"

AJ looked away, biting her lip. She hadn't wanted Elena to know she wouldn't be at the sacrifice; she'd hoped that with everything that'd be happening, she wouldn't have even noticed AJ's absence. But, of course, she had every right to know now.

"She can't be there, Elena. I apologize, but it's the only way," Elijah said simply.

Damon was furious. "The only way? To what, protect _her_? Just like we're trying to protect _Elena_, or have you forgotten about that part?"

Elijah looked at him steadily. "That is one of my main concerns. If AJ is present for the sacrifice, my attention will be elsewhere. Do you see that I'm doing you a favor? Because believe me, she doesn't want to leave, either. But I haven't given her a choice."

AJ bit her lip harder. She hated knowing that she was the only one being sent away for this; she loathed the fact that she was seen as a liability. If he'd give her the right tools, she'd be their secret weapon. She'd accept whatever the Warrior had to do, and she'd execute it perfectly, without hesitation. It didn't matter what she felt for Klaus; her friends were her first priority.

"AJ," Stefan said suddenly, catching her attention. "Don't feel bad, okay? Everything will work out, and then you can come back."

AJ laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, and miss helping my friends out. I'm abandoning all of you when you need me most. What kind of person does that make me?"

"You aren't abandoning them," Elijah said firmly. "I'm making you leave. You _have_ to, AJ. It's too dangerous, otherwise."

AJ nodded acquiescently. "I know," she said quietly.

"Won't Klaus realize she's gone?" Elena asked with concern. "Don't you think he'll try to stop her from leaving?"

"I think the last thing Klaus expects is for her to leave," Elijah said. "She should be safe with her parents. They leave at noon, tomorrow."

Elena looked at AJ sadly. "Can we talk outside?"

AJ nodded and stood from her seat. She followed Elena out of the living room, to the front door. Just as they passed through it, she heard the men quietly change the topic to something else.

Elena walked out a little way to a small copse of trees, her arms over her chest due to the chill in the air. The weather was slowly turning colder. AJ followed behind her.

Elena suddenly hugged AJ tightly. AJ, surprised, hugged her best friend back.

"I'm sorry," she said remorsefully, "I want to be there for you, Elena. I really do. I just can't fight him on this."

Elena shook her head and stepped back, once more pulling her arms over her chest. "Don't be sorry. I know you can't change his mind, and I don't want you to. He's doing this because he cares about you. So do I. AJ—it's such a relief to know you'll be okay. Don't you realize that? I've been spending the past few days freaking out about everything because I'm afraid someone's going to get hurt because of me. But at least I'll know that you're okay."

AJ pressed her lips together. "But I won't know about you, or the others. What if Bonnie isn't strong enough to do this? What if we can't find a way for _you_ to be okay? Elena, I'm scared. I've never been afraid before—not like this—but I am now. I'm scared of not knowing."

Elena smiled ruefully. "None of us know what's going to happen. But like you said—optimism. I think Bonnie can handle it. I think we'll find a way for me to get through this. But... if I don't, I need you to know something."

AJ shook her head from side to side, putting a hand to her forehead. "No, Elena. Don't. I don't want to hear last goodbyes or anything. I'm serious."

"It's not a last goodbye," Elena said gently, "It's just something I wanted you to know. Before you came here, it was just me, Bonnie, and Caroline. And we were great friends, don't get me wrong. But then you showed up, and you glued us all together. You've always been there for me—Warrior senses or not," she joked lightly, but there were tears in her eyes. "And then when my parents died—I haven't forgotten that you never left me alone. You were there, day and night. I just want you to know that you are truly the best friend I could ever have. Nothing could change that."

AJ looked down, hiding her tears. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Elena. I'm serious—I don't know what I'd do. I have to believe that you're going to be all right. The others wouldn't let anything happen to you. I just wish _I_ could be there to make sure. The thought of leaving you here while I'm safe makes me sick to my stomach."

Elena smiled sadly. "You've always been there for me, AJ. Now is no different. I learned how to be strong from you. I'll have that. So don't worry about me, okay? Don't worry about a thing."

**Review please! They're very motivational. (-: **


	65. Chapter 65

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. **

**A/N: These short chapters are bugging me in a severe way. They won't be like that for too much longer. I'm just trying to sort things out so that they fit together. Tell me if they're terrible or not?**

**Chapter Sixty-Five**

AJ leaned with her elbows on the counter and her chin propped up as she stared sullenly at the door. Her thoughts were flying from one thing to another madly, as if there wasn't even enough time to think. Tomorrow was the night of the full moon. Tomorrow Klaus would go to Elena, and Elena would have to go with him. Tomorrow her best friend might die. Tomorrow AJ would be back in Michigan, leaving everyone else behind to face this nightmare.

"Please don't be angry with me," Elijah said quietly from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter to her right, studying her with attentive eyes. "I'm trying to do what's best for you."

AJ blinked, but didn't turn to him. Her expression didn't change. "I know."

Elijah sighed lightly. He moved to stand in front of her. "Tell me what's on your mind. You've been staring at the door for a half an hour, now."

AJ frowned, focusing in on him. Could he get hurt, too? Of course there's always the possibility. Would memorizing everything about him in this moment make everything feel worse? "I'm scared for you," she said quietly.

He put a finger under her chin and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Pulling away, he looked at her intently. "You have no reason to worry for me. I will be fine, love. And as for your friends, I believe Bonnie can handle the power. Tomorrow, I'll take the potion to Elena. It should help profoundly."

"The potion that will bring her back to life? But do you think it'll work after all this time?"

"I have no reason to think otherwise," Elijah said reassuringly, "Witch's magic has lasted on Klaus for centuries. I believe the potion is just as potent with the magic as it was the day I had it made."

"For Katherine," AJ stated indifferently, reflecting on when he'd first told her about the potion. "You really did care for her, didn't you?"

Elijah's mouth tightened. "I did back then. I was a fool."

AJ's eyebrows pulled together. "You were a fool to care for someone, or for her?"

"For her," Elijah clarified briskly. He looked out the window over AJ's head, pressing his lips together.

"But from what you told me of her when she was human, she really wasn't all that bad. She was kind of like Elena. You weren't a fool to care for someone like that."

Elijah looked back down at AJ, mystified. "She is the very opposite of Elena. She is a selfish and cowardly vampire, just as she was when she was human."

"Okay," AJ said, "I was just trying to be nice."

"I know," Elijah said weakly, "I just don't like to reflect on that."

AJ was quiet once more, staring at her bag on the counter. She filled it with a few things she'd need if she was going to stay a couple days in Michigan. The thought made her feel sick all over again.

"Now what are you thinking?" Elijah asked with worry.

AJ sighed and rubbed at her eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but the doorbell rang. With a rueful smile, she looked up at him. "It doesn't matter. They're here."

She avoided his concerned look as she stood and made her way to the door.

Robert and Laura stood outside, smiling exuberantly at AJ. AJ managed a weak smile for them. "Come in. I just have a bag, but I want to say goodbye to Elijah."

They nodded understandingly and stepped over the threshold. Robert looked around and whistled, impressed. "This is quite a place you have, Elijah."

Elijah smiled at him with appreciation, masking his worry. "Thank you, that's very kind."

AJ frowned. "Not really. He was probably scoping out a place to watch the Superbowl. Now he'll just want to come here."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Oh, quiet AJ. Not everything your father does involves a conspiracy of some sort."

AJ sighed. "So you say now." She walked over to Elijah and looked up at him sadly. "I'll see you soon. Be careful, okay?" she said quietly, so her parents couldn't hear.

Elijah nodded and embraced her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "You don't need to worry. I'll let you know when everything's fine."

"Make sure Elena takes the potion. Tell her she has to because I said so, all right?" She smiled at him a little.

Elijah brushed the side of her cheek with his fingers, returning the smile. "All right."

AJ breathed in and nodded, preparing herself. She went to the counter and grabbed her backpack, pulling it over her shoulders.

"Are you ready to go?" Laura asked, twirling the keys to their car around her finger as she smiled.

"Yes." AJ turned back to Elijah. "I love you," she said with a twinge of sadness, going up on her tip-toes to kiss him.

"I love you, too," he said. Before she turned to leave he held onto her hand, rubbing his thumb over it soothingly. "Everything really will be okay. Don't feel bad for a moment, all right? It's brave for you to leave."

"It's cowardly," she protested in a hushed tone, pouting. "But it's what you want. I swear, Elijah, nothing had better happen to you. I'd be lost. Completely lost."

Elijah brushed some hair away from her eyes. "Nothing will happen to me. Just be safe, okay? I'll call you tomorrow night."

AJ nodded sadly, and then turned to leave.

She fought back tears as she walked out the front door and stepped into her parents' car. It was new—not something they'd had when AJ left home to come to Mystic Falls. Her parents climbed in as well, after saying goodbye to Elijah, and her mother started the car. It felt like a blow to the stomach for AJ. This was really it. She was really leaving her friends behind.

"Are you excited to come back home, sweetie?" Laura asked as she put the car in gear and started down the long driveway.

AJ hid her frown. "Has anything changed much?"

"Oh, not _too_ much," Laura said excitedly. "Although I do think you'll enjoy the new park they put in. It has an amphitheater, and the acoustics sound just lovely. Do you still play you're your guitar?"

"Yeah," AJ said, "But not in a couple of days." Or weeks, really. "I didn't bring it with me, either."

"Oh," her mom said with some disappointment, "I see. We can always get you a new one, I suppose."

AJ frowned. It seemed her mother really believed that she'd be staying with them for a while.

She turned and looked out the window as they made their way into town, thankful for the silence that passed over them. Where was Klaus, right now? What was he preparing for the sacrifice? And how was Elena holding up? Had she finally gotten a hold of Caroline for some support? Shoot—she hadn't even said goodbye to Caroline. Or Bonnie, Jeremy, and Jenna. Was she a terrible friend? In that moment, she felt like one; she felt sick to her stomach for leaving when everything could very well fall apart tomorrow.

Nervous butterflies fluttered around in her stomach, paired with nauseating ones. Her entire body was tense with anxiety and regret. Who was she to leave, when the others had to stay? She wasn't a coward. She never backed down from anything, no matter what it would cost her personally. And she never left her problems for someone else to fix. Klaus was her problem. She knew that was very true. He was her problem as much as he was Elena's. But Elena would be the one suffering the terrible consequences if the next day didn't go as planned. Would the others get hurt because they tried to help? Would she not ever hear back from Elijah, that everything turned out fine?

They were passing by the school now, getting closer and closer to Mystic Fall's town limits. If her friends ended up not being okay, would she come back here? Would she be able to live with herself, knowing that deep down somewhere, she had the kind of power to help them, but she didn't? Would Elijah be okay? What if he wasn't and she could have stopped it? Each thought that passed over her mind was adding another cut to her already wounded heart. This wasn't fair. She didn't want to go back to Michigan. She wouldn't be a liability. She _could_ help.

"Mom," AJ said suddenly, placing a hand on the back of the passenger seat in front of her so she could look at her mother on the driver's side. "I need you to stop the car."

Being completely neurotic, her mother immediately slammed on the breaks. AJ's head jerked forward, and she narrowly missed banging it on the seat.

"Are you okay, honey? Is something wrong?" Laura asked frantically, twisting in her seat to look over AJ when the car fully came to cessation.

"Well," AJ said sharply, "I _was_ okay, until you laid a patch on the road. Nice driving."

Laura frowned. Robert craned his neck around to look at AJ, too. "What's going on? Why did you want her to stop?"

"Mom, Dad," AJ said, looking them both in the eye as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "I love you both. I really do. And I'm so happy you both came to visit—you have no idea how much that helps me. But Elena needs me right now—my _friends_ need me. I have to stay just a little while longer, okay?"

Laura's eyebrows pulled together. "Well, then we'll stay, too—"

"_No_," AJ said firmly. "No, you guys should drive back to Michigan tonight. I'll catch a train or a bus later. But this is something I have to do on my own."

Robert frowned at her. "If it's that important, at least let us drive you back."

AJ shook her head. "I want to walk. I need to clear my head first."

Robert's eyes widened. "You can't walk—its _miles_ back to Elijah's."

"I'm not going to Elijah's," she said, unlocking the door herself and pushing it open. "I'll be fine, okay? I just need to do this one thing." She hopped out of the car with her backpack and shut the door. Her father rolled down the window, regarding her with concern. She leaned in the window. "I love you both very much. I'll see you soon." Without another word, she turned on her heel and began walking back in the direction of town. She listened as her parents slowly pulled away, abiding by her wishes.

The road was bare of any other cars, and fields of corn stretched on either side of it for acres. It'd be a long walk, but it was worth it. She had a little bit of time, anyway. She wouldn't leave her friends to fight on their own. She was one of them, and she always would be.

O O O

A few hours later, the sun was descending in the sky. It was a beautiful day, but it had a stinging chill to it. AJ had pulled her jacket close to her body and yanked the sleeves down to cover her hands. She was nearing the large house she'd called home for years since she came to Mystic Falls. The boardinghouse's location was akin to Elijah's in the way that there wasn't anyone else around for a few miles.

As the gravel crunched under her shoes, she wondered if the elder women were here today, or if they'd gone out. She remembered that whenever the weather permitted it, they'd go to one of the celebration parks and picnic.

She gripped the front doors handle and turned it. It pushed open easily, revealing a place she'd once had completely memorized for when she'd have to navigate it in the dark. Now, only a few things were different. Newly made quilts hung on walls, and it looked like the old tea set that used to be displayed in a cabinet had been replaced with a new set. AJ shut the door behind her and immediately began climbing the stairs on her right. The hallway was wide at the top. She walked purposefully down to the last door on the left and pushed it open.

It was her old room, before she moved in with Elijah. She felt guilty, suddenly, for never really telling her tenants that she was leaving. Now the room was covered in a fine layer of dust. The once Mediterranean decorated shelves and furniture were plain with off-white trinkets and covers that occupied the vacant rooms in the boardinghouse.

AJ threw her backpack on the bed and bent down over a floorboard. This had been one thing she'd left behind when she moved in with Elijah. She hadn't thought she'd need it, since he'd be around. But she might need it for the next night. The floorboard came loose, exposing a collection of different supernatural weapons Alaric had supplied her with. There were a few wooden or silver dirks and daggers, vervain and wolfsbane grenades, and a crossbow with silver tipped arrows. Maybe she couldn't hurt Klaus with these things, but he was sure to have some back up.

She picked everything up and spread it out on the bed, organizing it for what she would need and what she wouldn't. When she finished, she crossed the room to the large window overlooking the forest. There were so many memories here. She'd once come in and found Elijah gazing out this very window just before he was to head off to the dinner party. Then she'd woken that night, aware that something had happened at the party. Elijah was killed, and she'd felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest. She never wanted to feel that way ever again; it'd been pure agony, going so many weeks without him. She didn't think she could go through it again. He was such a big part of her now that if she lost him, she'd lose that part of herself. A person couldn't go through life half-alive.

AJ leaned against the window frame, gazing out at the setting sun. She'd have to prepare a little more for tomorrow. She needed a plan of some sort—something other than having Bonnie use her powers on Klaus and Elijah kill him. She may not have the strength she imagined most warriors to have, but if it came to it, she did have something to bargain with. Whatever would save her friends, she thought, would be worth it. No matter what it would cost her personally.

The sun dipped below the horizon at last. She'd have to wait exactly twenty-four hours to put her plan in motion. That is, if she could even come up with a halfway descent plan by then.

**Review and tell me what's up? I am so loving the VD right now. . . (-:**


	66. Chapter 66

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**Chapter Sixty-Six**

This was what AJ had been waiting for.

The moon was full, shrouding the land in shades of grey. Blackness still pitted in spots where its light couldn't reach, making depths arcane and mysterious. Shadows seemed almost animated if they were in just the right spot of AJ's peripherals, putting her on edge. She could hear screams of agony ring throughout the forest from somewhere off in the distance, but she didn't recognize who from.

Glancing around cautiously for the third time, she continued her quiet trek. Her hands were clenched at her sides, looking ash white whenever she passed under a splash of moonlight that broke through the thick canopy above. Her backpack weighed down her shoulders, full of the few necessities she'd packed the day before and some more weapons. She'd strapped more useful weapons under her sleeves or tucked them into her boots. The night had a biting coldness to it that went through even her heavy jacket, and she shivered every time the faint wind came by.

Her stomach was a mix of anxious butterflies and bottomless dread. She didn't know what to expect when she arrived; she wasn't even sure during what part of the sacrifice she'd get there. But she did know that Elena was the last part. From the screams—which she could tell wasn't from anyone she knew—she had some time. But not much.

Picking up the pace, she was careful to avoid any twigs or branches that might give her away. She knew both Elijah and Klaus's hearing was exemplary, and even the smallest snap of a twig by a human foot might alert them to her presence. She breathed in calmly—like when you had to shoot a sniper, she thought. If you were going to hit the target just right, you had to be calm and collected, and perfectly still. The shot was always flawed if you couldn't control your nerves. She concentrated on breathing in and out silently while watching her footing.

Several thoughts had passed over her mind since she started out, when the moon was just rising. The first being that Elijah could very well end up hating her for what she planned to do. The second that he would be safe, and so would the others, so that was all that truly mattered. She could handle Elijah hating her. But she wasn't sure she could handle him being dead because of her.

Judging by where she was at in the forest, she suddenly realized where she was headed to. The quarry. Klaus was having the sacrifice at the quarry. Her heart rate picked up at this thought, and she tried to slow it back down. She was much closer than she'd realized.

Suddenly, a flock of crows lifted up off of branches overhead, cawing harshly as they flapped in the opposite direction of the quarry. AJ winced at their shrill calls, but used the noise to quicken her pace even more. Off a little ways in the distance, she could see the flicker of a fire. And then she heard Elena's voice, high and frantic.

"Jenna—no!" she cried wretchedly, and it echoed throughout the forest, followed by sobbing. AJ's eyes widened. Jenna? What was Jenna doing here—what happened? She immediately began sprinting in the direction of the fire, shelving any previous caution to staying quiet. Leaves and twigs crunched like fire crackers under her boots. She pumped her arms, breathing in and out steadily.

At a nearly inhuman pace, she flew out of the forest and into the quarry. She first noticed Greta, clad in all black leather as she stood on an altar with a cauldron, watching with sick fascination as Klaus, who'd already sunk his teeth into Elena's neck, drained the life from her. AJ gaped at him, skidding to a stop. She hadn't made it in time—he'd already completed the ritual. She watched with a cold horror as Elena's head tilted back, and her body went lifelessly limp. Klaus dropped her body into the brush beside the stone altar. She looked like she was sleeping—not like she was dead. Would the potion work? Oh God—did she even take it? AJ didn't have time to worry over it because before she knew it, Klaus was stepping carefully down into the center of the quarry, blood staining the perturbing smile on his lips.

"I can feel it," he said in an awed tone. "It's happening." He raised his head to the moon, staring at it with desire. Then he grunted out in pain as the bones in his body shifted and cracked. Behind him, Greta stood, mesmerized at the sight. His breathing turned ragged and panting as he struggled to stay standing, his body kept flinging forward without volition. A jolt of fear shot through AJ's stomach when she saw his eyes take on the golden-hue that was unique to werewolves and large canines protruded from his mouth. She prepared to grab one of her weapons, but something unexpected happened.

She flinched when a white flash of something akin to lightning came down and struck Klaus, sending him flying through the air. He landed on the ground soundlessly, as all the noise around the quarry amplified like a storm was brewing overhead. In fact, there _was_ a storm brewing—sparks of lightning continued to go off, striking the ground as thunder rumbled in the sky, shaking the ground. AJ watched as Greta whipped around, miffed. She turned to see who Greta was looking at.

It was Bonnie, chanting Latin in a low but powerful voice, building up until she began shouting the chants, and then repeated it verbatim. With purpose in her stride, she came down a slight hill, combusting more fire around her as did. AJ flicked her eyes back to Greta again to see Damon snap her neck, looking extremely satisfied. Neither of them noticed her yet, they were so focused on whatever plan they'd made up earlier that day.

But something felt wrong. Something felt very wrong.

Before she could call out to either Bonnie or Damon, large hands gripped her like steel. One wrapped around her waist, and the other covered her mouth, muffling her shouts and keeping her head immobile as she was pulled up close to a body. He yanked her backpack forcibly from her shoulder, and she screamed as she felt it pop out of socket, but her scream was stifled as his grip tightened on her mouth. She kicked and lashed out as she was lifted off the ground and pulled away, off to the side of the forest. No matter what she did, the mystery man's grip didn't loosen by any means. But he stood there impervious to her struggling, tossing her bag down to the ground. He didn't seem to worry that they'd be seen.

Her protests fell completely silent as she watched the scene play out in front of her with wide eyes. Damon went to Elena quickly, cradling her lifeless body in his arms. Her head bobbed back sickly, making AJ cringe. He went and quickly laid her beside Stefan, who was still struggling to even move. Damon pulled the stake AJ hadn't seen out of Stefan's back and threw it off to the side. Stefan went white with pain, but turned to look at Damon. They seemed to be arguing about something until Damon picked Elena up once more and left, sinking into the darkness.

Bonnie was advancing on Klaus as her chants amplified in strength, making him cry out in agony as he struggled on the ground. Her magic was electric in the air, filling it with excitement and tension. She stumbled closer and closer to him, and it looked like she had to make a great effort to stand upright, holding onto her waist to keep her power contained. Her hair whipped around her head in the wind, pushing against her as she moved forward.

Klaus looked at her with complete loathing as he twisted on the ground. "You were dead!" he shouted angrily. Bonnie screamed her next chant and flicked her wrist upward, making the fire build up into walls around the quarry as Klaus howled in pain. She flicked her wrist again, and he rolled onto his side, just short of shrieking.

AJ knew in that moment that Elijah had been right—completely, one-hundred percent right. Klaus's pain tore at her heart wretchedly. Every time his body spasmed in pain, one of emulating force tore through AJ. She kept pinching her eyes shut, trying to look away, but she couldn't. Something kept bringing her attention right back to him, emphasizing with him, but in a detached sort of way.

The trees shook with ferocity as Bonnie stood her ground, chanting more and more as Klaus writhed in pain. Bonnie was exerting every power she had to keep him down and weak, and the storm that built up overhead reflected her power. The wind whistled in the air, paralleling the sound of a tornado, and the ground shook with instability.

AJ's heart started beating rapidly at the immediate sight of Elijah. He stepped out into the clearing, heading towards Klaus carefully. Bonnie finally stopped her chants, looking completely drained of energy. The wind and storm stopped with her, making everything eerily silent. AJ didn't dare make a noise—not when they were so close to killing Klaus. She may have some sort of emotional attachment to him, but she knew it would end the moment Klaus's life did. The thought itself sickened her, but she buried the feeling. Elijah stood over Klaus with a formidable air, his face void of any emotion.

"Elijah," Klaus struggled to say, lying on his back.

Elijah looked down at him coldly. Without saying a word, he lunged down at Klaus, forcing his hand through Klaus's ribcage until it wrapped around his heart. Klaus grunted in pain as Elijah dug his hand in deeper. AJ whimpered. "In the name of our family, Nicklaus," Elijah said through clenched teeth, "I—"

"I didn't bury them at sea!" Klaus said hoarsely, with desperation.

Elijah looked down at him angrily, breathing in hard. "_What_?"

"Their bodies—they're _safe_."

Elijah regarded Klaus, but AJ couldn't decipher his look. It seemed to be a mixture of relief and absolute hatred, somehow combined into one.

"If you kill me," Klaus said raggedly, his chest heaving up and down, "You'll never find them."

"Elijah!" Stefan called, finally back on his feet. "Don't listen to him!"

AJ wanted to scream the same thing; she wanted to run to Elijah and reassure him that killing Klaus now was their only chance. It was the only way they could be free; _she_ could be free, no matter how much it would hurt to say those things. But that was just the sort of pain she needed to be liberated of.

She started fighting against her abductor again, kicking at his legs and shoving his arms through the pain in her shoulder. But he was strong—a vampire. He didn't flinch when her boots connected with his shins or when she scratched his arms until they were bloody. He didn't move a millimeter. AJ's heart pounded in her chest desperately. Who was he? She needed to get to Elijah!

"Elijah," Klaus said, his words coming out short and staccato, "I can take you to them." Elijah looked down at him, and then back to Stefan, clearly strained. "I give you my _word_, Brother," Klaus stressed.

"Do it and I'll take you both out," Bonnie threatened, seeing Elijah's last resolution shatter.

"You will die," Elijah reminded her harshly.

"I don't care," she said loathingly, glaring at the two brothers.

Elijah looked back down at Klaus, barely containing his hatred for his brother. But his family came first—he did all of this for his family. He shook his head in consternation and turned back to Stefan. "I'm sorry," he said gruffly, struggling to find the words. "Tell AJ—tell her I'm terribly sorry. But I have to do this for my family. She would understand that."

"No!" Stefan shouted, lunging forward to stop them, but Elijah was faster. He'd pulled Klaus over the wall of fire and disappeared in less than a second, leaving Bonnie and Stefan staring forlornly after them.

Tears fell down AJ's cheeks like rivers, and she was now limp in her captor's hands. Elijah had fallen for Klaus's bait—he cared so much about his family that he truly believed his brother would take him to them. But could she blame him? She knew how much he cared for his family; how much it affected him that Klaus took them all away from him. He would have hoped that Klaus would truly take him back to them—but AJ knew better, no matter what she felt.

In a last effort to fight her captor, AJ tried reaching one of the wooden stakes strapped under her sleeves with her good hand. She tilted her hand in an awkward position, grunting as her fingers reached as far as they could to touch the tip of the pointed wooden stake. With great effort, she pulled it out and swiftly jabbed it in his arm. Immediately, his grip on her released and she fell down to the ground, crying out in pain when her shoulder hit a large rock. The pain was stunning, but she fought the hot-cold paralysis as she struggled to stand. Under a second, she was pinned up against a tree, the visage of her captor clear in sight.

He was a vampire, no doubt. But she had no recognition of him. He wouldn't stand out in a crowd of people—his features were plain and ordinary. But his eyes were dark and veiny as he glared at her, and his fangs were poking out from under his lips, looking lethal.

"Who are you?" she asked, "What do you want from me?"

The vampire growled deeply, narrowing his eyes at her. "I was given strict instructions to keep you from being attending the sacrifice, should you arrive."

AJ's eyebrows pulled together tightly, but hope filled her chest. "So Elijah sent you? He made sure you were here? To keep me safe?"

The vampire smiled wickedly, exposing his fangs completely. They glinted like knives in the moonlight. "Klaus is my master. I answer only to him."

AJ stared at him incredulously, her mouth gaping open. "No—_no!_ Whatever he wants—I won't do it! Let me go! Just let me _go_!" She struggled in his grasp again, writhing from side to side, ignoring the shooting pain in her shoulder.

"Now, now," the vampire said mockingly, "Be a good little Warrior and shut the hell up. Your friends are still here, and if they hear you I will have no qualms about killing them."

AJ clamped her mouth shut. She wasn't willing to gamble with question of whether he was lying or not. In his dark eyes, she could see her own reflection. Her hair was messy and blown all around; her eyes were bright and wide, still holding some disbelief that Elijah had really left with Klaus; her mouth was tight with worry and fear. But when she looked at herself in whole, she only saw failure. This had been her one attempt to save her friends, and she'd failed. Was Elena alive, or was she dead? What about Jenna?—Elena had screamed her name with unfathomable pain. Would Elijah be okay? Perhaps the most pressing question that ended up in her mind was: How could Elijah go with him, and where were they now? _Was he okay?_

The vampire had been silent for several minutes, listening intently to their surroundings. When he spoke, his briskness startled AJ. "It's time for us to leave. I don't know how long he'll be, but he expects you when he gets back."

He released AJ, and she fell down to the ground again, stifling another cry from the terrible pain in her shoulder. She figured they were only now leaving because Bonnie and Stefan had gone. Her bag was beside her, and she reached weakly to grab it. The vampire was faster.

He looked down at her with an unnerving smile. "I was also given orders that, should you try and prevent me from taking you, I make the trip as painful as I like. I wouldn't test me, little girl. I've learned many things from Klaus over the centuries, and all of them being ways of torture."

AJ swallowed hard, looking up at this stranger. She didn't know what Klaus wanted her for, or where he was having her taken to, but she had enough common sense to know it wouldn't end well. Not at all.

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><p><strong>The reviews are always so motivational. (-: So I have a question. For my season three sequel, would you rather me stick to the VD storyline completely or add on another one like I did for this story? It's hard for me to not make up my own stuff, and I have a couple ideas going around in my head. Let me know! (And there's something about this chapter I don't like. I don't know why, I just don't.)<strong>


	67. Chapter 67

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: Last chapter! The sequel is already posted!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Seven<strong>

"You know," AJ said, shooting a dirty look at the nameless vampire who'd been gripping onto her arm the entire time they walked, "I'd probably much more amenable to going wherever it is we're going if you'd _just_ _let me walk on my own._"

The vampire smirked at her and gave her a brisk shove, almost causing her to stumble onto the forest floor again. "Maybe if you'd shut the hell up, like I asked earlier, we wouldn't be having any problems, now would we?"

"Maybe if you'd stick a stake up your ass," AJ mimicked his sardonic tone, "There wouldn't be any problems at all!" She stomped down at twigs and leaves as they went, ignoring the blatant pain of her still dislocated shoulder. The sun had risen hours ago, but the vampire had still forced her to walk. Exhaustion couldn't even begin to describe how she was feeling.

His lips pulled back into a snarl, exposing his fangs. "I'd watch what you say, little girl. I haven't had my fun with you yet, but believe me when I tell you I'm anxious to begin."

"Or," AJ began to counter, "Maybe you're too afraid of what Klaus will do to you _should_ you hurt me. That's why you haven't done anything yet. Your threats are completely empty. And here I thought vampires weren't cowards."

He growled deeply. The next thing AJ knew, she was being shoved off her feet, flying through the air until her body connected with the rough bark of a tree. With a yelp, she fell down it, scraping her back the entire way. When she hit the ground, the air rushed out of her lungs and her back felt like a million needles had pierced it and dragged down it at the same time. She knew it had to be pretty bloody, and an icy-hot feeling diffused over the area, matching the pain in her shoulder that was now ten-fold what it'd been minutes ago.

The vampire was standing several feet away, looking at her with disgust. "Get up," he spat, crossing his arms impatiently. "We're almost there, anyway. As much as I don't mind the privacy being in the forest provides us, I'd rather not be out here while he is."

AJ still lay with her back against the tree, feeling like she wasn't even capable of moving properly. She looked at up the vampire with her brows pulled together as she breathed in and out. "He? You mean Klaus?"

"Who else?" he said peevishly. "Now get back on your feet. He wanted you back there hours ago."

"Do you always do as you're told?" AJ asked mockingly, making no attempt to get up. She really wasn't sure if she could. "Tell me, what is it you get out of this? A pat on the back? A human to feed on? Or maybe instead of a pat on the back, a steak through the heart? How useful will you be to him once you've done everything he's asked?"

Analogous to the previous night, the vampire pinned her up against the tree, barring his fangs. AJ grunted in pain, and tears stung behind her eyes, making their way to the surface. "Shut up, you stupid child!" he screamed, his eyes wild. "I have been by Klaus's side for centuries! Do you truly think that you can bait me with your words, to try and get me to release you?"

"Yes," AJ replied smugly, despite the pain, "I do. But of course, you're brainwashed to think otherwise. So please, continue with your angry ranting. I've got all day."

He snarled at her once more, and much to AJ's surprise, he didn't retract his fangs. His head lunged forward, and the tips of his fangs pierced the skin on her neck. She yelped and shoved at his chest; she did anything to unlatch him from her, but he was too strong. She could feel the blood being sucked painfully from her body at a rapid rate, and her vision began to darken around the edges.

"Stop it!" she screamed, banging on his chest with her fists, "Stop it _now!_"

The vampire pulled away from her, looking feral. His chest heaved up and down with anger, and his mouth dripped with her blood. AJ quickly put a hand to her neck and brought it back down to examine. He'd bit her deep, and it wasn't coagulating like it should be. She felt a warm trickle of it slowly makes its way down her neck.

"Now," the vampire said with a barely-contained fury, "Will you walk, or will I have to do more damage to you?"

AJ avoided looking at him as she slowly began walking in the direction they'd been headed to. Her back and neck ached terribly, and her shoulder was almost numb with pain. But she had absolutely no care whatsoever for these things. She only wanted to know about Elijah and Elena. Were they all right? Did Elena live? What did Klaus do to Elijah?

After the vampire had made her walk from the quarry late last night, he'd kept to the forests for reasons beyond her knowledge. But she somewhat recognized where they were at, now. There were bike and running paths delineating around the area as it came closer to a set of apartments. AJ realized upon walking closer to the apartments that she knew why it was a little familiar. Alaric lived here. Well, he_ had_ lived here, but Klaus had made it off-limits as he resided here and at the other house in the middle of nowhere. A feeling of dread settled in AJ's already frazzled stomach.

The vampire led her into one of the complexes and up the stairs until he stopped at a heavy wooden door, labeled 2B. He pulled a key out from under his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open. Then he shoved AJ inside and shut it behind them.

AJ tensed immediately. She was in Klaus's domain now, a place he could walk into at any given moment, and she'd have no heads-up as to when. Her eyes scanned Alaric's cluttered-yet-somehow-neat apartment, and she completely froze when she saw Elena. Narrowing her eyes, she realized it definitely wasn't Elena. Katherine.

"You're the second to last person I expected to see," Katherine commented as she lounged on a bed on the far side of the room, examining her nails with an air of boredom.

AJ raised an eyebrow, slowly walking into the room further. She glanced back to see the other vampire leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, before looking back at Katherine. "And who'd be the last person you'd expect to see?"

"Jesus," Katherine said seriously, but then rolled her eyes. "Who else?"

AJ regarded her cautiously. "I never really thought of you as the religious type. Of course, I never really thought anyone could be as selfish as you are, either, but you surprised me with that, too."

"Religion," Katherine said flatly, "Is for losers who think they need someone to solve their problems for them. I learned that a long time ago. Now, I solve my own." For the first time, Katherine's eyes flicked up at AJ, looking her from head to toe with revulsion. "You look like hell. What happened? Jenkins get a little rough?"

AJ whipped her head back to the vampire leaning against the wall. "Jenkins? Really? You're mother must have had something serious against you."

Jenkins snarled at her. He moved to zoom up to her, but Katherine moved faster. AJ's eyebrows shot up with surprise as Katherine stood between her and Jenkins.

"I wouldn't," Katherine warned him, "Not when she already looks like this."

Jenkins narrowed eyes flicked from her to AJ. Reluctantly, he backed away, choosing to lean against the wall again.

Katherine turned and walked back to the bed, plumping down onto it.

AJ followed her hesitantly, holding a hand to her shoulder. "I don't suppose I can also get you to hold him off while I leave?"

Katherine looked at her darkly. It was perturbing—she looked too much like Elena, and yet not at the same time. "Don't push your luck. I'm stuck here. Now you are, too."

AJ sighed. She looked around the room once more, feeling a little awkward. Weren't there laws about students being in their teachers homes? Did it apply when a demented vampire took it over and forced an equally egotistical vampire to stay there? Maybe. Maybe not. It was weird, all the same.

Katherine sat back up quickly. She was glaring at Jenkins with a harsh intensity, her mouth pulled into a scowl. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go see when he's coming back? I'm sick of waiting."

Jenkins growled at her. "You do not give me orders."

"No," Katherine said peevishly, "But I do give you advice. You don't want him walking in with this mess standing here," she pointed at AJ, "do you?"

Jenkins was impassive. A moment later, he was gone.

"Why'd you—"AJ started to say when suddenly the apartment door began to open. AJ whipped around again, her heart hammering like she was running a marathon. But it slowed down when she realized who it was.

"Stefan," she breathed, and relief flooded throughout her.

Stefan looked at her, eyes wide. "AJ—what are you doing here?" He looked her over, much in the way Katherine had, but with concern. "And what happened to you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," AJ said quickly, "But is—"she stopped herself, hard. No, she couldn't ask if Elena was okay. Not with Katherine around. It wasn't safe. "But what are you doing here?"

Stefan shut the door quietly behind him, his eyes locking on Katherine.

She crossed the room with a huff, shooting daggers at him. "Two days I've been waiting," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm supposed to be free from Klaus's compulsion by now—he's _supposed_ to be dead! What the hell happened?"

"We ran into complications," Stefan said plainly. AJ blinked between the two of them, completely confused.

"Complications?" Katherine asked incredulously.

Stefan regarded her with hard eyes. "It doesn't really matter—I just need to find him. Do you have any idea where he might be?"

Katherine clenched her hands into fists and a moment later had Stefan pinned up against the wall, out of AJ's view. She held a finger to her lips, hushing him. She quickly went back to grab AJ and set her beside Stefan.

They could hear the door open once more. AJ's heart started beating rapidly—surely Klaus would hear her heartbeat, and Jenkins already knew she was there. What'd been the point in hiding her?

"Klaus," Katherine said, her eyes never leaving Stefan's, "You're back. I see Jenkins did find you." She pulled Stefan out into view, then, as Klaus and Elijah walked through the door. "Look who decided to come for a visit."

Klaus stared at Stefan blankly. "You just keep popping up, don't you?"

"I need your help," Stefan said matter-of-factly, "For my brother."

"Well whatever it is, it's going to have to wait," Klaus said. "You see, I have an obligation to _my_ brother. It requires my immediate attention."

AJ's eyes widened. Elijah was here? She stepped out from her hiding place so quickly that another spasm of pain went through her spine. All eyes turned to her.

"Ah," Klaus said, "And you're here, as well. Perfect."

Elijah stared at her, his mouth open. "AJ," he said hoarsely, "AJ—what's happened to you?"

AJ tried wiping away the blood on her neck with her good arm as she tucked her other one at her side gently. She stood as straight as she could, but winced again, involuntarily. Klaus's eyes scanned her scrupulously.

"Yes," he said with underlying menace in his tone, turning to Jenkins, "What has happened to her? I did leave her in your care."

Jenkins looked at Klaus, baffled. "You said that if she wasn't willing to comply, to force her to. I supposed you meant—"

Klaus had him pinned up against the wall by his neck in less than a second. "You supposed _biting _her had been appropriate? Tell me. Just how much of her blood did you drink?"

Jenkins stuttered, regarding Klaus with wide eyes. "Just—just a little. Her blood—it tastes different than anything I've ever had. It was hard to stop."

Klaus smiled disarmingly at Jenkins, patting the side of his cheek roughly. "I suppose it was," he said backing away from Jenkins. "You've done your service to me. I have no need for you anymore." And in one swift movement, Klaus had ripped out Jenkins heart, and his body crumpled to the floor. Klaus dropped the heart on top of Jenkins body, and it made a sick plumping noise.

AJ started when she realized Elijah was directly in front of her. Much to her relief, he seemed to be unharmed. She grasped onto his hands, and their warmth comforted her. "AJ—had I known—I would never have left you there. You shouldn't have come back—you should have done as I asked and gone with your parents."

AJ shook her head, squeezing his hand. "No—not when everyone I love was at stake. I wasn't going to risk you getting hurt—I—"

So quickly had a dagger been plunged through Elijah's heart that it took several moments for AJ to register what had happened, and she looked at his graying face with wide eyes. "_No_!" she screamed suddenly, "No—_Elijah_!" This couldn't be happening, she thought desperately, it couldn't possibly be. Elijah was her love—her other half. He was _part_ of her.

"AJ," he struggled to say, his eyes glued on her. He reached out to touch her, and his skin felt rough and sand-papery on her arm. "AJ, you must—"

Klaus twisted Elijah's neck and threw his body down onto the floor. It hit with a lifeless _thunk_. Tears formed so rapidly in AJ's eyes that they were already falling down her cheeks in rivers, dripping to the floor. Elijah couldn't be dead. He couldn't be gone. If he was gone, then what did she have? What was there worth living for—what purpose was left of her? None, she thought instantly. Without Elijah, she was nothing; incomplete; broken. She moved automatically to pull the stake out, knowing it was the only way to mend the shattering heart inside her chest, but she was caught by the waist.

"Ah ah," Klaus said, holding her back easily. "Look away. Just look away."

Pure fury came over her in that instant, and mixed with her sudden heartbreak, she lost all sense. No longer did she feel any empathetic emotion for Klaus the way she had the night before—there was nothing but passionate hate, bleak and stinging in her heart like icicles. She beat her fists on Klaus's chest and scratched and kicked and yelled at him, feeling even more pain as her spine protested against her movements and her shoulder fell even more out of its socket.

"_What have you done?"_ she screamed at him, "_What the hell have you done?"_ Her breathing was ragged, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh my God," she said quietly, and her voice cracked. "I hate you, Klaus. I hate you so much. Bring him back. Bring him back to me!"

"Shh," Klaus said, staring at her intently. He moved quickly to place her on the bed on the far side of the room, blocking her view of Elijah's body. "Quiet. You must stay right here, do you understand? Stay here."

He left her there, staring wide eyed and sullenly at the comforter on the bed. She only seemed to half hear him, but it had to be good enough. He returned to Stefan and Katherine, keeping an eye on the both of them, should either one of them think to revive Elijah. Then he shoved Stefan into a wall.

"Now," he said, "What am I going to do with you?" He pulled out another stake and shoved it through Stefan's torso.

Stefan cried out in pain, kneeling over. Katherine watched with a tiny frown, sticking close to the other side of the room.

"Do you feel that?" Klaus asked Stefan darkly. "It's scraping against your heart. The slightest little movement… and you're dead."

"He's just trying to help his brother," Katherine spoke up quickly, stepping forward.

Klaus ignored her, digging the stake in more as he smirked. Stefan sputtered blood, coughing harshly. "The witches said you had a cure," he said gruffly, panting, "Just give me the cure, and I'll do whatever you want."

Klaus frowned, yanking the stake out. Stefan cried out again, falling to his knees as he held a hand to his chest, moaning wretchedly. Klaus approached the kitchen counter, placing the bloody stake on it. He glanced at AJ, noticing that she was still staring unfocusedly at the comforter, but now her knees were pulled up to her chin and she was rocking from side to side in shock. Her wounds still showed from when Jenkins had injured her earlier. He frowned deeper, picking up a blood bag and pouring it into a glass.

"Trouble is," he said to Stefan, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a drink, "I don't know if you'll be any good to me, the way you are now." Stefan looked up uneasily, sensing the turn of events. "You're really just shy of useless."

Klaus turned his back on AJ once more, and kneeled down to Stefan. "I heard about this one vampire," Klaus began in a confiding tone, "Crazy fellow, always on and off the wagon for decades." He held the glass of blood close to Stefan, tilting it so that the fluid moved delectably. Stefan looked away, breathing in and out. "And when he was off, he was _magnificent_." Klaus stood up quickly. "Nineteen-seventeen, he was in Monterey and wiped out an _entire_ migrant village. A true _ripper_," Klaus drew out the word, looking at Stefan intently. Stefan looked at the floor, frowning. "Sound familiar?" Klaus asked darkly before taking another sip of blood.

Stefan looked up at Klaus steadily before pushing to his feet. "I haven't been that way in a very long time."

"Well," Klaus said, "That's the vampire I can make a deal with. And that is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town." Stefan tensed, watching Klaus cautiously. "Katerina," Klaus held his hand out without looking at her, "Come here."

Katherine, who had been standing off to the side, was wary. She walked towards him slowly, placing her hand in his. Klaus raised her wrist to his mouth and bit it savagely, his eyes flashing yellow-gold.

Katherine cried out. "No," she whispered when he released her, looking down at her wrist. "No," she shook her head, disbelieving. He'd bit through to the flesh, leaving an angry bloody patch on her arm. A werewolf bite.

Klaus sunk his fangs into his own wrist, drawing blood, and shoved it in Katherine's mouth, against her protests. She struggled and gasped for unneeded air when he pulled his wrist back. Looking back down at her wrist, her eyes widened. The bite mended back together until her skin was flawless once more.

"You want your cure," Klaus said menacingly, "There it is."

Stefan's mouth tightened into a hard line as he looked from Katherine's wrist to Klaus. "Your blood is the cure."

Klaus smirked. "Gotta love Mother Nature. Now," he said, placing a hand on Stefan's shoulder as he guided him to the kitchen, "Let's talk, you and I."

Klaus pulled a chair up to the bar area and left it there for Stefan. He crossed the kitchen to the knife set, and pulled out the biggest one. Opening a cabinet, he grabbed a small jar and returned to the table. He took the knife and placed the razor-sharp edge over the center of his wrist, digging it in and pulling it through slowly as it cut his vein. Blood poured out as if turned on by a facet, and he let it fill the jar to the brim. His skin healed itself, and he set both the jar and the knife back on the counter.

"Well," he said, "There it is."

Stefan frowned down at the table, clenching his hands into fists.

"If you want to save your brother," Klaus continued, "How about a decade long bender?" Klaus regarded Stefan now, a small smile on his face. "You know I have big plans for you, when we leave this town."

Stefan tried to reign in his erratic emotions and remain calm. "I'm not like that anymore."

"Well that's too bad," Klaus said, picking up the jar of his blood once more and holding it over the sink. "You would have made a hell of a wingman." He tilted the jar, spilling its crimson contents out slowly, letting them sink down the drain.

Stefan sucked in a breath, looking down. "Wait," he said quietly.

Klaus tilted the jar upright. A single drop of blood dripped down the side, splattering into the sink. He smirked. "Now that's more like it. I want you to join me for a drink." He picked up a bag of blood sitting on the table and slid it down to Stefan. Stefan stopped it with his hand. Impassively, he looked down at it and tore open the top in one swift movement. Katherine watched from her place off to the side with interest.

Stefan stared at Klaus, his mouth pressing into a tight line. Then slowly, he raised the bag of blood to his lips and took a small drink. His eyes became dark and veiny—the smell was so intoxicating. But he knew how to fight the urges. He _could_ fight it.

"Finish it," Klaus demanded, giving Stefan a hard look. "All of it."

Stefan tensed, reigning control over his urge to do just that. He kept the blood bag down resolutely.

Klaus smiled disarmingly. "You do that, and I save your brother. That's the deal."

Stefan hesitated before putting the bag back to his lips again as he drank the blood once more. Only this time, he squeezed it out, sucking at it until it was dry. He crumpled the empty bag in his hand, breathing in and out raggedly.

Victorious, Klaus smiled to himself. He lifted another blood bag off the table and slid it down to Stefan. "Again."

Closing his eyes momentarily, Stefan took a deep breath. Then he grabbed the next bag and drained it, succumbing to the darker part within him that'd been craving human blood all along.

On the bed, out of Klaus's view, AJ watched with wide eyes. Klaus was turning Stefan—he was making him into a monster. Her eyes scanned the rest of the room. Katherine seemed as engrossed in Stefan's alteration as Klaus was. And then there was Elijah's body. She could just barely see the top of his head around the corner of the wall separating the small office from this room. It was the color of ash, drained of life. She knew in her heart that he was the only one who could stop all of this—she needed him.

The sound of Stefan viscously tearing at blood bag after bag filled the room, perturbing AJ.

"You're very cooperative," Klaus observed, watching Stefan intently. He walked over to him, his arms clasped behind his back. "It's almost as if you enjoy it." He threw another bag—the ninth—down at Stefan once more, waiting with keen interest to see him devour it.

Stefan shook his head. "No more," he said gruffly, "Not until you give me the cure."

"Not until we make a deal," Klaus said simply. "It's your choice Stefan. You can either remain here, living your life in Mystic Falls . . . or you can embrace what you truly are. Leave town with me," Klaus said slowly, picking up the discarded bag and held it in front of Stefan, "And save your brother's life."

Stefan stared at the bag, his mouth hanging open as crimson red blood dripped down it. Less than a second later, he'd taken it from Klaus's hands and tore off the top with his teeth, slurping it down.

"That's the spirit," Klaus said triumphantly. He turned and grabbed the jar of his blood, and then crossed the room to Katherine. "Sweetheart," he said, pulling her up out of a chair by her chin and catching her eye, "I want you to take this over to Damon and come right back."

Katherine stared into Klaus's eyes as if being compelled. "You want me to leave?" she asked breathlessly.

"No!" Stefan spoke up quickly; alert to the problem this now presented him with.

"Yes," Klaus answered her, "And if I were you, I'd hurry."

Katherine was out the door a second later, not sparing any more time to be around the demented Original.

Stefan gaped after her in a panic. He stared at Klaus, who was lazily taking a seat at the small dining table. "She'll never take it to him!" he said incredulously.

Klaus shrugged, a small smile on his face. It diminished in an instant at his gaze flicked over to the empty bed AJ had once occupied. He moved like lightning, and an instant later his arms were wrapped around AJ's waist just as her fingers brushed the tip of the dagger in Elijah's heart. At the very last second, she'd pinched onto the dagger and pulled it out of Elijah just as Klaus was pushing her the other way. With his back to Elijah, he couldn't yet see her success. But she looked down at Elijah's body with his skin returning to its normal pallor, and she smiled. The smile diminished just as fast. Klaus wouldn't spare a second to kill Elijah again. He had to get out of here. He had to leave her behind.

Elijah was coming back much quicker than he had the first time she'd had to revive him. He was on his feet in an instant, his eyes locked on AJ and Klaus with fury. Just as he was about to open his mouth, AJ started her distraction. Before she did, however, she gave Elijah a look that said everything he needed to do. He froze.

"No!" AJ screamed as she kicked and struggled, digging her nails into Klaus's arms. If he still believed that Elijah was dead, he would expect her to, as well. "No! Let me go, Klaus! _Let me go!"_

Klaus sighed. He flung her across the other side of the room, but instantly regretted this decision. Crying out as she stumbled to the floor, her already severe injuries sent a shock of pain through her body. After she landed roughly on the ground, she pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to hide the tears resurfacing in her eyes. Elijah was still standing silently on the other side of the room, his features hardened and his expression torn. She knew he didn't want to leave her. She could see it so clearly in his eyes. But he _must_. She furtively gave him a look that expressed just that. Elijah pressed his lips together. His entire body was tense, and he hated seeing her the way she was. He hated the idea of leaving her with Klaus for even a second. But he was no good to her now. He would be back. He would come back for her. In a flash, he'd left the small apartment through the front door. It'd been open from when Katherine had left earlier, making for a quiet escape. AJ had to hold back any tears that threatened to surface at seeing him leave. It might be the very last time she saw him. But he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"AJ," Klaus said calmly, "You must not try that again. I'm afraid that, if you do, I'll have to go to some lengths to keep you contained. And you need to be healed." He crossed the room to her slowly, taking in her suddenly childlike-turned features. There was a heartbroken look in her eye, and her chin quivered as she held in sobs. On the floor the way she was, she looked so small. Small and fragile. There was still a dried bloody spot on the side of her neck where Jenkins had fed off of her, and her shoulder was clearly in disrepair. The back of her shirt seemed to cling to her, also pasted by dried blood.

"Get the hell away from me," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I don't want your blood. I want you _dead._ You tried taking away the one thing I have to live for on this planet, but—"

"AJ," Stefan spoke up quietly, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He gave her a warning look. "Be careful. I know how much you're hurting right now, but you're injured and making him angrier won't help you any. "He looked up at Klaus now, his eyes void of emotion. "Let her go. You don't need her—you have me. So just let her go."

Klaus ignored Stefan. His eyes never left AJ. "I cannot compel you," he said, "But you must forget Elijah. He'll be joining the rest of my family soon. You won't see him again. It will be best for you to simply make yourself forget."

AJ shook her head, closing her eyes. A small tired smile appeared on her lips. "Is that so?" Slowly, she pulled the dagger she'd held underneath her sleeve into view. "Because I think he'll be just fine."

Klaus looked down at her, his eyes blazing with fire. The rest of his features contained a sort of scary calmness. "AJ," he said very slowly. "You are truly the stupidest creature I know. When I turn around, I swear my brother had better be there." His look now held the unvoiced threat he meant to imply. AJ shivered involuntarily. Klaus glanced over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the room. Finding it empty of Elijah's body, he howled angrily. With his vampire strength, he'd punched a hole in the wall large enough for AJ to walk through. She flinched at the noise and scuttled back. She knew there would be consequences.

Klaus's eyes found hers again, and if she didn't know they were blue, she would have thought them to be pure red in that instant. His breathing was heavy, but it was slowing down. He approached her, a deadly prose in his step. Swiftly he reached down and tore the dagger from her hands. She whimpered, pushing back further until her back connected with the bedpost.

She held her chin up, meeting his eyes. "Do what you have to, Klaus," she said, but her voice cracked. "I love him. I don't regret what I did. Not for a second."

Klaus glowered at her. "Do you love him enough to die for him?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "I do."

Klaus threw the dagger at the wall behind Stefan. It hit with a loud _thunk_. His lips were pulled into a snarl. "Love," he spat, "Is meaningless. It's not something we can feel—we Originals. So you may think he _loves_ you, darling, but you're very, very wrong. I promise you," he said menacingly, "That when I find him again, I will make you watch as I kill him. And he will not be revived that time."

"Go to hell, Klaus," she snapped at him. "I will take whatever consequences I must, but you can go to hell. Just because you've never been loved before, doesn't mean that you _can't_ love. That _he_ can't love. He's a greater man than you could ever be. You can't convince me otherwise. So screw you."

Klaus shook his head slowly, advancing on her. Stefan forced himself to stay put, but glanced back and forth between the two anxiously.

"If you're going to make it tough," Klaus said, "Then I suppose I'll try and make this as painless as possible. But keep in mind, AJ, that not everything is as it seems. You'll hear me out, one of these days. And you'll regret doing what you just did." He loomed up over her now, his expression blank. "When you wake, I do hope you'll be more obliging."

His dark blue eyes were the last things she saw before blackness overcame her sight, and a sense of weightlessness filled her body. Thoughts fleeted through her mind at the last second. Elijah, his grayed and lifeless face had its life returned to it. He was alive. Then they turned to Klaus; Klaus with the fire blazing in his eyes, and the anger and fury. Klaus, who'd tried to take away the one person she truly loved. But he couldn't. And she would pay the consequences for bringing Elijah back. She loved him, and that love would make it enough to get through whatever Klaus had planned for her. Their love was the kind that started wars, and in the end managed to stay untouched, unshattered, remaining in a state of truly forever and always.

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><p><strong>Review, and give me your thoughts! I have posted the sequel. Heart at War. Find it on my page. (-:<strong>


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